Jackson County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Jackson County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 13,086. It is the 82nd most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Jackson County is 40.8 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Jackson County is $40,000. This is 37% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 50% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.5%. This is 21% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.0%. This is 18% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $111,500. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $205,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Jackson County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Jackson County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.1%. The Black or African American population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.1%) is well below the state average of 5.0%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

8.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 68% 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 75.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Jackson 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.