Meade County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Meade County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 30,158. It is the 35th most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Meade County is 39.5 years. This is 1% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Meade County is $74,355. This is 17% higher than the state median of $63,726. It is also 8% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.2%. This is 24% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.8%. The median home value is $207,900. Housing costs are 1% higher than the state median of $205,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Meade County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 74.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Meade County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.2%. The Black or African American population (3.3%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

20.0% 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 91.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Meade 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.