Henderson County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Henderson County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 44,280. It is the 25th most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Henderson County is 40.9 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Henderson County is $58,851. This is 8% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 27% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.6%. This is 9% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 2.5%. This is 49% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $171,900. Housing costs are 16% lower than the state median of $205,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Henderson County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 64.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% lower than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Henderson County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.0% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 8.1%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

20.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 27.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Henderson County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Kentucky and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.