• county
  • FIPS 21145
  • Largest town: Paducah

McCracken County, Kentucky

McCracken County had 67,550 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 248.8 square miles of land. It ranks 13th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 85th by land area.

Population
67,550
#13 of 120 in Kentucky · #808 in US
Area
248.8 sq mi
#85 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,916 in US
Density
272 / sq mi
#11 of 120 in Kentucky · #469 in US
Median household income
$60,801
#41 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,761 in US

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

McCracken County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from McCracken County

McCracken County population, land area and income

McCracken County had 67,550 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 248.8 square miles of land. It ranks 13th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 85th by land area. That works out to 271.5 people per square mile, 2.8 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents, so McCracken County is 3.4 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $60,801 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

67,550

3144th1st

808th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

249 sq mi

3144th1st

2916th of 3,144 (US)

Density

271.5 / sq mi

3144th1st

469th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$60,801

3143rd1st

1761st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

67,550

120th1st

13th of 120 (KY)

Land area

249 sq mi

120th1st

85th of 120 (KY)

Density

271.5 / sq mi

120th1st

11th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$60,801

120th1st

41st of 120 (KY)

How McCracken County's population changed since 2020

McCracken County lost 376 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 0.6%. That ranks 82nd 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, McCracken County recorded 2,919 births and 4,096 deaths, a natural change of -1,177. Net international migration added +188 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +632. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,177 people.

67.9k202067.6k202167.3k202267.5k202367.6k2024
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
2,919
Deaths
4,096
Net international migration
+188
Net domestic migration
+632
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+94

Where McCracken County is

The Census internal point of McCracken County is at 37.054100, -88.712500. 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 McCracken 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: McCracken County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.054100, -88.712500
DMS
37°03'14.76"N 88°42'45.00"W
UTM
16N 347730.2E 4102245.3N
Geohash
dn8fv33xb
Plus code
869H373Q+J2

Towns in McCracken County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in McCracken County, 26,712 people together, or 40% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside McCracken County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Paducah with 26,712.

  1. 01Paducah26,712
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering McCracken County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for McCracken County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Graves County, KY, with 36,821 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 224.1 miles ENE of McCracken County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Clarksville, TN (population 185,690), 82.8 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Paducah, KY (population 26,712), 3.9 miles away.

McCracken County FIPS code

The FIPS code of McCracken County is 21145: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 145. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $60,801.

Questions people ask

What is the population of McCracken County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 67,550. That is down 376 people (0.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 67,926.

What is the FIPS code of McCracken County?

21145. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (145) identify the county.

What is the largest town in McCracken County?

Paducah, with 26,712 residents inside McCracken County in 2024.

Which counties border McCracken County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Graves County, KY; Marshall County, KY; Massac County, IL; Livingston County, KY; Ballard County, KY; Pulaski County, IL; Carlisle 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.