La Center, Kentucky Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 694, La Center's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

La Center is a small community located in Kentucky, within Ballard County. The total population is 694. It ranks as the 294th most populous out of 552 Census-designated places in Kentucky.

Age Demographics

The median age in La Center is 50.0 years. This is 28% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in La Center is $56,776. This is 11% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 30% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 27.2%. This is 69% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in La Center, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $92,300. Housing costs are 55% lower than the state median of $205,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, La Center is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 73.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 7% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in La Center is White (non-Hispanic), making up 78.4% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 13.8%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (13.8% vs 7.5%). The Hispanic or Latino population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 5.0%.

Education

17.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 38% 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 88.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for La Center, Kentucky is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Kentucky state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 552 Census-designated places in Kentucky. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.