• county
  • FIPS 21117
  • Largest town: Covington

Kenton County, Kentucky

Kenton County had 174,862 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 160.4 square miles of land. It ranks 3rd of 120 in Kentucky by population and 114th by land area.

Population
174,862
#3 of 120 in Kentucky · #398 in US
Area
160.4 sq mi
#114 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,051 in US
Density
1,090 / sq mi
#3 of 120 in Kentucky · #148 in US
Median household income
$79,604
#6 of 120 in Kentucky · #491 in US

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

Kenton County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Kenton County

Kenton County population, land area and income

Kenton County had 174,862 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 160.4 square miles of land. It ranks 3rd of 120 in Kentucky by population and 114th by land area. That works out to 1,090.4 people per square mile, 11.3 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents, so Kenton County is 8.9 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $79,604 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

174,862

3144th1st

398th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

160 sq mi

3144th1st

3051st of 3,144 (US)

Density

1,090.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

148th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$79,604

3143rd1st

491st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

174,862

120th1st

3rd of 120 (KY)

Land area

160 sq mi

120th1st

114th of 120 (KY)

Density

1,090.4 / sq mi

120th1st

3rd of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$79,604

120th1st

6th of 120 (KY)

How Kenton County's population changed since 2020

Kenton County gained 5,586 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 3.3%. That ranks 28th 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, Kenton County recorded 9,152 births and 6,671 deaths, a natural change of +2,481. Net international migration added +2,607 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +665. The largest single component was international migration, which added 2,607 people.

169.3k2020169.6k2021170.4k2022172.2k2023174.9k2024
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
9,152
Deaths
6,671
Net international migration
+2,607
Net domestic migration
+665
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+2,614

Where Kenton County is

The Census internal point of Kenton County is at 38.930500, -84.533400. 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 Kenton 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: Kenton County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
38.930500, -84.533400
DMS
38°55'49.80"N 84°32'0.24"W
UTM
16N 713810.0E 4311957.1N
Geohash
dngvkrhdt
Plus code
86CQWFJ8+6J

Towns in Kenton County

15 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Kenton County, 158,422 people together, or 91% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Kenton County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Covington with 41,611.

  1. 01Covington41,611
  2. 02Independence30,196
  3. 03Erlanger20,172
  4. 04Elsmere9,337
  5. 05Fort Mitchell8,766
  6. 06Edgewood8,526
  7. 07Villa Hills7,763
  8. 08Taylor Mill7,116
  9. 09Fort Wright6,096
  10. 10Crescent Springs4,707
  11. 11Ludlow4,390
  12. 12Crestview Hills3,338
  13. 13Park Hills3,191
  14. 14Lakeside Park2,852
  15. 15Walton (part)361
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Kenton County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Kenton County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Hamilton County, OH, with 837,359 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 54.6 miles SSW of Kenton County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Cincinnati, OH (population 314,915), 14.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Independence, KY (population 30,196), 2.0 miles away.

Kenton County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Kenton County is 21117: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 117. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $79,604.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Kenton County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 174,862. That is up 5,586 people (3.3%) from the July 2020 estimate of 169,276.

What is the FIPS code of Kenton County?

21117. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (117) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Kenton County?

Covington, with 41,611 residents inside Kenton County in 2024.

Which counties border Kenton County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Hamilton County, OH; Boone County, KY; Campbell County, KY; Grant County, KY; Pendleton 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.