• county
  • FIPS 21127
  • Largest town: Louisa

Lawrence County, Kentucky

Lawrence County had 15,798 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 415.6 square miles of land. It ranks 72nd of 120 in Kentucky by population and 29th by land area.

Population
15,798
#72 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,049 in US
Area
415.6 sq mi
#29 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,433 in US
Density
38 / sq mi
#92 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,719 in US
Median household income
$46,200
#88 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,921 in US

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

Lawrence County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Lawrence County

Lawrence County population, land area and income

Lawrence County had 15,798 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 415.6 square miles of land. It ranks 72nd of 120 in Kentucky by population and 29th by land area. That works out to 38.0 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; Lawrence County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $46,200 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

15,798

3144th1st

2049th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

416 sq mi

3144th1st

2433rd of 3,144 (US)

Density

38.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

1719th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$46,200

3143rd1st

2921st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

15,798

120th1st

72nd of 120 (KY)

Land area

416 sq mi

120th1st

29th of 120 (KY)

Density

38.0 / sq mi

120th1st

92nd of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$46,200

120th1st

88th of 120 (KY)

How Lawrence County's population changed since 2020

Lawrence County lost 504 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.1%. That ranks 106th 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, Lawrence County recorded 634 births and 1,066 deaths, a natural change of -432. Net international migration added +6 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -76. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 432 people.

16.3k202016.3k202116.0k202216.0k202315.8k2024
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
634
Deaths
1,066
Net international migration
+6
Net domestic migration
-76
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-176

Where Lawrence County is

The Census internal point of Lawrence County is at 38.074500, -82.738300. 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 Lawrence 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: Lawrence County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
38.074500, -82.738300
DMS
38°04'28.20"N 82°44'17.88"W
UTM
17N 347530.8E 4215507.6N
Geohash
dnv0t5rb1
Plus code
86CV37F6+RM

Towns in Lawrence County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Lawrence County, 2,509 people together, or 16% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Lawrence County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Louisa with 2,509.

  1. 01Louisa2,509
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Lawrence County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Lawrence County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Boyd County, KY, with 47,777 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 116.4 miles W of Lawrence County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 93.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Ashland, KY (population 21,066), 27.1 miles away.

Lawrence County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Lawrence County is 21127: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 127. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $46,200.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Lawrence County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 15,798. That is down 504 people (3.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,302.

What is the FIPS code of Lawrence County?

21127. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (127) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Lawrence County?

Louisa, with 2,509 residents inside Lawrence County in 2024.

Which counties border Lawrence County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Boyd County, KY; Wayne County, WV; Carter County, KY; Johnson County, KY; Morgan County, KY; Martin County, KY; Elliott 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.