• county
  • FIPS 21033
  • Largest town: Princeton

Caldwell County, Kentucky

Caldwell County had 12,611 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 344.8 square miles of land. It ranks 89th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 47th by land area.

Population
12,611
#89 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,247 in US
Area
344.8 sq mi
#47 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,693 in US
Density
37 / sq mi
#95 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,757 in US
Median household income
$52,719
#73 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,503 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Caldwell County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Caldwell County

Caldwell County population, land area and income

Caldwell County had 12,611 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 344.8 square miles of land. It ranks 89th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 47th by land area. That works out to 36.6 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents; Caldwell County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $52,719 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

12,611

3144th1st

2247th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

345 sq mi

3144th1st

2693rd of 3,144 (US)

Density

36.6 / sq mi

3144th1st

1757th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$52,719

3143rd1st

2503rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

12,611

120th1st

89th of 120 (KY)

Land area

345 sq mi

120th1st

47th of 120 (KY)

Density

36.6 / sq mi

120th1st

95th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$52,719

120th1st

73rd of 120 (KY)

How Caldwell County's population changed since 2020

Caldwell County lost 25 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 0.2%. That ranks 78th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Caldwell County recorded 654 births and 731 deaths, a natural change of -77. Net international migration added -13 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +50. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 77 people.

12.6k202012.7k202112.6k202212.6k202312.6k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
654
Deaths
731
Net international migration
-13
Net domestic migration
+50
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+50

Where Caldwell County is

The Census internal point of Caldwell County is at 37.148600, -87.870500. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Caldwell County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Caldwell County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.148600, -87.870500
DMS
37°08'54.96"N 87°52'13.80"W
UTM
16N 422696.5E 4111711.9N
Geohash
dn9e26wwk
Plus code
869J44XH+CR

Towns in Caldwell County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Caldwell County, 6,223 people together, or 49% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Caldwell County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Princeton with 6,223.

  1. 01Princeton6,223
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Caldwell County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Caldwell County. The most populous is Christian County, KY, with 71,006 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 178.8 miles ENE of Caldwell County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Clarksville, TN (population 185,690), 49.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Madisonville, KY (population 19,502), 24.2 miles away.

Caldwell County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Caldwell County is 21033: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 033. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $52,719.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Caldwell County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 12,611. That is down 25 people (0.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 12,636.

What is the FIPS code of Caldwell County?

21033. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (033) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Caldwell County?

Princeton, with 6,223 residents inside Caldwell County in 2024.

Which counties border Caldwell County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Christian County, KY; Hopkins County, KY; Trigg County, KY; Webster County, KY; Lyon County, KY; Crittenden County, KY.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.