• county
  • FIPS 21189

Owsley County, Kentucky

Owsley County had 3,928 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 197.4 square miles of land. It ranks 119th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 102nd by land area.

Population
3,928
#119 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,889 in US
Area
197.4 sq mi
#102 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,998 in US
Density
20 / sq mi
#118 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,252 in US
Median household income
$35,000
#120 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,133 in US

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

Owsley County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Owsley County

Owsley County population, land area and income

Owsley County had 3,928 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 197.4 square miles of land. It ranks 119th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 102nd by land area. That works out to 19.9 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, so Owsley County has 20% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $35,000 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

3,928

3144th1st

2889th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

197 sq mi

3144th1st

2998th of 3,144 (US)

Density

19.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

2252nd of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$35,000

3143rd1st

3133rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

3,928

120th1st

119th of 120 (KY)

Land area

197 sq mi

120th1st

102nd of 120 (KY)

Density

19.9 / sq mi

120th1st

118th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$35,000

120th1st

120th of 120 (KY)

How Owsley County's population changed since 2020

Owsley County lost 104 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 2.6%. That ranks 103rd 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, Owsley County recorded 219 births and 393 deaths, a natural change of -174. Net international migration added +0 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +51. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 174 people.

4,03220203,97120213,94120223,98420233,9282024
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
219
Deaths
393
Net international migration
+0
Net domestic migration
+51
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-56

Where Owsley County is

The Census internal point of Owsley County is at 37.423600, -83.691600. 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 Owsley 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: Owsley County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.423600, -83.691600
DMS
37°25'24.96"N 83°41'29.76"W
UTM
17N 261824.0E 4145266.6N
Geohash
dnskzsc8k
Plus code
869RC8F5+C9

Towns in Owsley County

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Owsley County. Its 3,928 residents live in smaller towns, census-designated places, or unincorporated land, which the subcounty estimates do not list at this size.

Counties bordering Owsley County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Owsley County. The most populous is Perry County, KY, with 26,739 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 83.4 miles NW of Owsley County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 59.8 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Berea, KY (population 16,436), 35.0 miles away.

Owsley County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Owsley County is 21189: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 189. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $35,000.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Owsley County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 3,928. That is down 104 people (2.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 4,032.

What is the FIPS code of Owsley County?

21189. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (189) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Owsley County?

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Owsley County. Its people live in smaller towns, census-designated places or unincorporated land.

Which counties border Owsley County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Perry County, KY; Clay County, KY; Jackson County, KY; Breathitt County, KY; Lee 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.