• county
  • FIPS 21213
  • Largest town: Franklin

Simpson County, Kentucky

Simpson County had 20,350 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 234.2 square miles of land. It ranks 56th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 91st by land area.

Population
20,350
#56 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,806 in US
Area
234.2 sq mi
#91 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,940 in US
Density
87 / sq mi
#40 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,014 in US
Median household income
$60,371
#43 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,803 in US

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

Simpson County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Simpson County

Simpson County population, land area and income

Simpson County had 20,350 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 234.2 square miles of land. It ranks 56th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 91st by land area. That works out to 86.9 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, about the same as Simpson County.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $60,371 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

20,350

3144th1st

1806th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

234 sq mi

3144th1st

2940th of 3,144 (US)

Density

86.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

1014th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$60,371

3143rd1st

1803rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

20,350

120th1st

56th of 120 (KY)

Land area

234 sq mi

120th1st

91st of 120 (KY)

Density

86.9 / sq mi

120th1st

40th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$60,371

120th1st

43rd of 120 (KY)

How Simpson County's population changed since 2020

Simpson County gained 721 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 3.7%. That ranks 23rd 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, Simpson County recorded 958 births and 1,102 deaths, a natural change of -144. Net international migration added +41 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +833. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 833 people.

19.6k202019.7k202119.9k202220.2k202320.4k2024
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
958
Deaths
1,102
Net international migration
+41
Net domestic migration
+833
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+127

Where Simpson County is

The Census internal point of Simpson County is at 36.740900, -86.581800. 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 Simpson 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: Simpson County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
36.740900, -86.581800
DMS
36°44'27.24"N 86°34'54.48"W
UTM
16N 537335.8E 4066211.7N
Geohash
dnd3jb3p3
Plus code
868MPCR9+97

Towns in Simpson County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Simpson County, 10,524 people together, or 52% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Simpson County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Franklin with 10,524.

  1. 01Franklin10,524
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Simpson County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Simpson County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Sumner County, TN, with 211,721 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 136.9 miles NE of Simpson County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Nashville-Davidson, TN (population 704,963), 40.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Franklin, KY (population 10,524), 2.1 miles away.

Simpson County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Simpson County is 21213: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 213. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $60,371.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Simpson County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 20,350. That is up 721 people (3.7%) from the July 2020 estimate of 19,629.

What is the FIPS code of Simpson County?

21213. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (213) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Simpson County?

Franklin, with 10,524 residents inside Simpson County in 2024.

Which counties border Simpson County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Sumner County, TN; Warren County, KY; Robertson County, TN; Logan County, KY; Allen 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.