• county
  • FIPS 21115
  • Largest town: Paintsville

Johnson County, Kentucky

Johnson County had 22,098 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 262.0 square miles of land. It ranks 52nd of 120 in Kentucky by population and 77th by land area.

Population
22,098
#52 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,716 in US
Area
262.0 sq mi
#77 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,881 in US
Density
84 / sq mi
#43 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,037 in US
Median household income
$45,126
#92 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,967 in US

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

Johnson County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Johnson County

Johnson County population, land area and income

Johnson County had 22,098 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 262.0 square miles of land. It ranks 52nd of 120 in Kentucky by population and 77th by land area. That works out to 84.4 people per square mile, near the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

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

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $45,126 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

22,098

3144th1st

1716th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

262 sq mi

3144th1st

2881st of 3,144 (US)

Density

84.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

1037th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$45,126

3143rd1st

2967th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

22,098

120th1st

52nd of 120 (KY)

Land area

262 sq mi

120th1st

77th of 120 (KY)

Density

84.4 / sq mi

120th1st

43rd of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$45,126

120th1st

92nd of 120 (KY)

How Johnson County's population changed since 2020

Johnson County lost 550 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 2.4%. That ranks 102nd 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, Johnson County recorded 976 births and 1,634 deaths, a natural change of -658. Net international migration added +36 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +35. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 658 people.

22.6k202022.6k202122.2k202222.1k202322.1k2024
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
976
Deaths
1,634
Net international migration
+36
Net domestic migration
+35
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-41

Where Johnson County is

The Census internal point of Johnson County is at 37.847800, -82.830100. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Johnson 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: Johnson County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.847800, -82.830100
DMS
37°50'52.08"N 82°49'48.36"W
UTM
17N 338983.8E 4190506.4N
Geohash
dntp71uzq
Plus code
869VR5X9+4X

Towns in Johnson County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Johnson County, 4,129 people together, or 19% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Johnson County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Paintsville with 4,129.

  1. 01Paintsville4,129
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Johnson County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Johnson County. The most populous is Floyd County, KY, with 34,532 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 113.7 miles WNW of Johnson County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 89.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Ashland, KY (population 21,066), 43.4 miles away.

Johnson County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Johnson County is 21115: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 115. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $45,126.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Johnson County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 22,098. That is down 550 people (2.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 22,648.

What is the FIPS code of Johnson County?

21115. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (115) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Johnson County?

Paintsville, with 4,129 residents inside Johnson County in 2024.

Which counties border Johnson County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Floyd County, KY; Lawrence County, KY; Morgan County, KY; Magoffin County, KY; Martin 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.