• county
  • FIPS 21177
  • Largest town: Central City

Muhlenberg County, Kentucky

Muhlenberg County had 30,512 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 467.3 square miles of land. It ranks 34th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 16th by land area.

Population
30,512
#34 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,427 in US
Area
467.3 sq mi
#16 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,203 in US
Density
65 / sq mi
#55 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,234 in US
Median household income
$52,291
#74 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,531 in US

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

Muhlenberg County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Muhlenberg County

Muhlenberg County population, land area and income

Muhlenberg County had 30,512 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 467.3 square miles of land. It ranks 34th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 16th by land area. That works out to 65.3 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; Muhlenberg County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $52,291 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

30,512

3144th1st

1427th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

467 sq mi

3144th1st

2203rd of 3,144 (US)

Density

65.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

1234th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$52,291

3143rd1st

2531st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

30,512

120th1st

34th of 120 (KY)

Land area

467 sq mi

120th1st

16th of 120 (KY)

Density

65.3 / sq mi

120th1st

55th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$52,291

120th1st

74th of 120 (KY)

How Muhlenberg County's population changed since 2020

Muhlenberg County lost 385 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.2%. That ranks 93rd 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, Muhlenberg County recorded 1,355 births and 1,919 deaths, a natural change of -564. Net international migration added +23 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +105. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 564 people.

30.9k202030.3k202130.7k202230.5k202330.5k2024
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
1,355
Deaths
1,919
Net international migration
+23
Net domestic migration
+105
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-15

Where Muhlenberg County is

The Census internal point of Muhlenberg County is at 37.213800, -87.134100. 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 Muhlenberg 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: Muhlenberg County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.213800, -87.134100
DMS
37°12'49.68"N 87°08'2.76"W
UTM
16N 488101.8E 4118598.7N
Geohash
dnd59nwfh
Plus code
869J6V78+G9

Towns in Muhlenberg County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Muhlenberg County, 10,097 people together, or 33% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Muhlenberg County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Central City with 5,744.

  1. 01Central City5,744
  2. 02Greenville4,353
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Muhlenberg County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Muhlenberg County. The most populous is Christian County, KY, with 71,006 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 140.6 miles ENE of Muhlenberg County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Clarksville, TN (population 185,690), 46.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Madisonville, KY (population 19,502), 22.1 miles away.

Muhlenberg County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Muhlenberg County is 21177: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 177. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $52,291.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 30,512. That is down 385 people (1.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 30,897.

What is the FIPS code of Muhlenberg County?

21177. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (177) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Muhlenberg County?

Central City, with 5,744 residents inside Muhlenberg County in 2024.

Which counties border Muhlenberg County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Christian County, KY; Hopkins County, KY; Logan County, KY; Ohio County, KY; Todd County, KY; Butler County, KY; McLean 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.