Powell County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Powell County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 13,038. It is the 83rd most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Powell County is 39.3 years. This is about the same as the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Powell County is $40,309. 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 22.5%. This is 40% 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 unemployment rate is 5.8%. This is 18% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $141,100. Housing costs are 31% lower than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.5x. 68.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

Powell County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.6% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 2.0%. The Black or African American population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 5.0%.

Education

13.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 50% 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 82.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Powell 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.