• county
  • FIPS 21163
  • Largest town: Brandenburg

Meade County, Kentucky

Meade County had 30,442 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 305.5 square miles of land. It ranks 35th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 61st by land area.

Population
30,442
#35 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,430 in US
Area
305.5 sq mi
#61 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,799 in US
Density
100 / sq mi
#33 of 120 in Kentucky · #914 in US
Median household income
$69,228
#16 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,057 in US

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

Meade County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Meade County

Meade County population, land area and income

Meade County had 30,442 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 305.5 square miles of land. It ranks 35th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 61st by land area. That works out to 99.7 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; Meade County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $69,228 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

30,442

3144th1st

1430th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

305 sq mi

3144th1st

2799th of 3,144 (US)

Density

99.7 / sq mi

3144th1st

914th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$69,228

3143rd1st

1057th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

30,442

120th1st

35th of 120 (KY)

Land area

305 sq mi

120th1st

61st of 120 (KY)

Density

99.7 / sq mi

120th1st

33rd of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$69,228

120th1st

16th of 120 (KY)

How Meade County's population changed since 2020

Meade County gained 414 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.4%. That ranks 60th 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, Meade County recorded 1,116 births and 1,282 deaths, a natural change of -166. Net international migration added +40 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +562. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 562 people.

30.0k202030.1k202130.0k202230.2k202330.4k2024
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
1,116
Deaths
1,282
Net international migration
+40
Net domestic migration
+562
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+276

Where Meade County is

The Census internal point of Meade County is at 37.967500, -86.200900. 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 Meade 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: Meade County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.967500, -86.200900
DMS
37°58'3.00"N 86°12'3.24"W
UTM
16N 570190.4E 4202510.2N
Geohash
dndxyry2t
Plus code
869MXQ9X+2J

Towns in Meade County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Meade County, 3,990 people together, or 13% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Meade County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Brandenburg with 2,974.

  1. 01Brandenburg2,974
  2. 02Muldraugh1,016
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Meade County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Meade County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Hardin County, KY, with 112,826 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 73.7 miles ENE of Meade County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Louisville/Jefferson County, KY (population 640,796), 33.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Radcliff, KY (population 22,706), 17.6 miles away.

Meade County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Meade County is 21163: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 163. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $69,228.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Meade County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 30,442. That is up 414 people (1.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 30,028.

What is the FIPS code of Meade County?

21163. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (163) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Meade County?

Brandenburg, with 2,974 residents inside Meade County in 2024.

Which counties border Meade County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Hardin County, KY; Harrison County, IN; Breckinridge County, KY; Perry County, IN; Crawford County, IN.

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.