• county
  • FIPS 21205
  • Largest town: Morehead

Rowan County, Kentucky

Rowan County had 24,675 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 279.9 square miles of land. It ranks 48th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 73rd by land area.

Population
24,675
#48 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,630 in US
Area
279.9 sq mi
#73 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,849 in US
Density
88 / sq mi
#38 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,005 in US
Median household income
$51,712
#77 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,580 in US

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

Rowan County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Rowan County

Rowan County population, land area and income

Rowan County had 24,675 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 279.9 square miles of land. It ranks 48th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 73rd by land area. That works out to 88.2 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; Rowan County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $51,712 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

24,675

3144th1st

1630th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

280 sq mi

3144th1st

2849th of 3,144 (US)

Density

88.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

1005th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$51,712

3143rd1st

2580th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

24,675

120th1st

48th of 120 (KY)

Land area

280 sq mi

120th1st

73rd of 120 (KY)

Density

88.2 / sq mi

120th1st

38th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$51,712

120th1st

77th of 120 (KY)

How Rowan County's population changed since 2020

Rowan County lost 46 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 0.2%. That ranks 77th 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, Rowan County recorded 1,179 births and 1,219 deaths, a natural change of -40. Net international migration added +142 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -93. The largest single component was international migration, which added 142 people.

24.7k202024.6k202124.4k202224.5k202324.7k2024
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
1,179
Deaths
1,219
Net international migration
+142
Net domestic migration
-93
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+172

Where Rowan County is

The Census internal point of Rowan County is at 38.204300, -83.428100. 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 Rowan 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: Rowan County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
38.204300, -83.428100
DMS
38°12'15.48"N 83°25'41.16"W
UTM
17N 287397.0E 4231270.0N
Geohash
dnu9mdcs0
Plus code
86CR6H3C+PQ

Towns in Rowan County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Rowan County, 6,789 people together, or 28% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Rowan County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Morehead with 6,789.

  1. 01Morehead6,789
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Rowan County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Rowan County. The most populous is Carter County, KY, with 26,098 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 78.6 miles W of Rowan County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 57.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Winchester, KY (population 19,413), 43.7 miles away.

Rowan County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Rowan County is 21205: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 205. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $51,712.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Rowan County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 24,675. That is down 46 people (0.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 24,721.

What is the FIPS code of Rowan County?

21205. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (205) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Rowan County?

Morehead, with 6,789 residents inside Rowan County in 2024.

Which counties border Rowan County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Carter County, KY; Fleming County, KY; Morgan County, KY; Bath County, KY; Lewis County, KY; Elliott County, KY; Menifee 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.