• county
  • FIPS 21161
  • Largest town: Maysville

Mason County, Kentucky

Mason County had 16,956 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 240.1 square miles of land. It ranks 67th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 89th by land area.

Population
16,956
#67 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,979 in US
Area
240.1 sq mi
#89 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,930 in US
Density
71 / sq mi
#51 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,175 in US
Median household income
$56,706
#55 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,165 in US

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

Mason County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Mason County

Mason County population, land area and income

Mason County had 16,956 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 240.1 square miles of land. It ranks 67th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 89th by land area. That works out to 70.6 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

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

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $56,706 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

16,956

3144th1st

1979th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

240 sq mi

3144th1st

2930th of 3,144 (US)

Density

70.6 / sq mi

3144th1st

1175th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$56,706

3143rd1st

2165th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

16,956

120th1st

67th of 120 (KY)

Land area

240 sq mi

120th1st

89th of 120 (KY)

Density

70.6 / sq mi

120th1st

51st of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$56,706

120th1st

55th of 120 (KY)

How Mason County's population changed since 2020

Mason County lost 181 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.1%. That ranks 89th 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, Mason County recorded 792 births and 1,036 deaths, a natural change of -244. Net international migration added +93 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -15. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 244 people.

17.1k202017.0k202116.9k202216.9k202317.0k2024
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
792
Deaths
1,036
Net international migration
+93
Net domestic migration
-15
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+99

Where Mason County is

The Census internal point of Mason County is at 38.594100, -83.828100. 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 Mason 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: Mason County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
38.594100, -83.828100
DMS
38°35'38.76"N 83°49'41.16"W
UTM
17N 253694.5E 4275528.7N
Geohash
dnu7s3y4z
Plus code
86CRH5VC+JQ

Towns in Mason County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Mason County, 8,711 people together, or 51% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Mason County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Maysville with 8,711.

  1. 01Maysville8,711
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Mason County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Mason County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Brown County, OH, with 44,292 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 63.3 miles WSW of Mason County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 51.3 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Paris, KY (population 10,185), 36.4 miles away.

Mason County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Mason County is 21161: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 161. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $56,706.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Mason County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 16,956. That is down 181 people (1.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 17,137.

What is the FIPS code of Mason County?

21161. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (161) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Mason County?

Maysville, with 8,711 residents inside Mason County in 2024.

Which counties border Mason County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Brown County, OH; Adams County, OH; Fleming County, KY; Lewis County, KY; Bracken County, KY; Robertson 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.