Simpson County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Simpson County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 19,972. It is the 58th most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Simpson County is 38.8 years. This is about the same as the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Simpson County is $59,858. This is 6% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 26% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.6%. This is 3% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 3.6%. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $229,400. Housing costs are 12% higher than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 66.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% lower than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Simpson County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.9% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 6.9%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

18.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 32% 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 90.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Simpson 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.