• county
  • FIPS 21203
  • Largest town: Mount Vernon

Rockcastle County, Kentucky

Rockcastle County had 16,226 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 316.6 square miles of land. It ranks 69th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 57th by land area.

Population
16,226
#69 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,018 in US
Area
316.6 sq mi
#57 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,770 in US
Density
51 / sq mi
#70 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,441 in US
Median household income
$49,406
#83 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,752 in US

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

Rockcastle County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Rockcastle County

Rockcastle County population, land area and income

Rockcastle County had 16,226 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 316.6 square miles of land. It ranks 69th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 57th by land area. That works out to 51.3 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; Rockcastle County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $49,406 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

16,226

3144th1st

2018th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

317 sq mi

3144th1st

2770th of 3,144 (US)

Density

51.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

1441st of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$49,406

3143rd1st

2752nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

16,226

120th1st

69th of 120 (KY)

Land area

317 sq mi

120th1st

57th of 120 (KY)

Density

51.3 / sq mi

120th1st

70th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$49,406

120th1st

83rd of 120 (KY)

How Rockcastle County's population changed since 2020

Rockcastle County gained 163 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.0%. That ranks 66th 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, Rockcastle County recorded 682 births and 1,176 deaths, a natural change of -494. Net international migration added +0 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +681. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 681 people.

16.1k202016.1k202116.2k202216.2k202316.2k2024
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
682
Deaths
1,176
Net international migration
+0
Net domestic migration
+681
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+55

Where Rockcastle County is

The Census internal point of Rockcastle County is at 37.361100, -84.314400. 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 Rockcastle 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: Rockcastle County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.361100, -84.314400
DMS
37°21'39.96"N 84°18'51.84"W
UTM
16N 737842.6E 4138315.6N
Geohash
dnsh93khh
Plus code
869Q9M6P+C6

Towns in Rockcastle County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Rockcastle County, 3,570 people together, or 22% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Rockcastle County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Mount Vernon with 2,458.

  1. 01Mount Vernon2,458
  2. 02Brodhead1,112
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Rockcastle County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Rockcastle County. The most populous is Madison County, KY, with 99,582 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 64.8 miles NNW of Rockcastle County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 47.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Berea, KY (population 16,436), 15.8 miles away.

Rockcastle County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Rockcastle County is 21203: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 203. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $49,406.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Rockcastle County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 16,226. That is up 163 people (1.0%) from the July 2020 estimate of 16,063.

What is the FIPS code of Rockcastle County?

21203. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (203) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Rockcastle County?

Mount Vernon, with 2,458 residents inside Rockcastle County in 2024.

Which counties border Rockcastle County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Madison County, KY; Pulaski County, KY; Laurel County, KY; Lincoln County, KY; Garrard County, KY; Jackson 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.