Morgan County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Morgan County courthouse in West Liberty | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
| Coordinates:37°55′N83°16′W / 37.92°N 83.26°W /37.92; -83.26 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | December 7, 1822 |
| Named after | Daniel Morgan |
| Seat | West Liberty |
| Largest city | West Liberty |
| Area | |
• Total | 384 sq mi (990 km2) |
| • Land | 381 sq mi (990 km2) |
| • Water | 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2) 0.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,726 |
• Estimate (2024) | 14,300 |
| • Density | 36.0/sq mi (13.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | morgancounty |
Morgan County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKentucky. As of the2020 census, the population was 13,726.[1] Itscounty seat isWest Liberty.[2]
Morgan County was formed on December 7, 1822, from portions of Bath County and Floyd County.[3] It was named forDaniel Morgan, a distinguished general in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[4]
The first white settler in the county was Daniel Williams, a traveling preacher from Virginia who built the first permanent home in the vicinity several miles south of present-day West Liberty. Williams had also previously served in the American Revolution in the Kentucky Militia.
During the Civil War, Morgan County was a majority Pro-Confederate County. 220 Morgan County men served as Union Soldiers, while nearly 400 or more served as Confederate soldiers. Morgan County men formed nearly all of A, B, C and parts of D and E. companies of the 5th KY Infantry. (CSA)
On May 29, 1869, a portion of Morgan County became part of present-dayMenifee County.
Morgan County was hit by an EF3 tornado onMarch 2, 2012, which cost the lives of six people and injured many others. Following the tornado, Morgan County's population decreased, but the county seat still has a strong population for a small town.
Morgan County had begun building a new court house in 2011, but the tornado delayed its construction to late 2013.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 384 square miles (990 km2), of which 300 square miles (780 km2) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) (0.7%) is water.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2,857 | — | |
| 1840 | 4,603 | 61.1% | |
| 1850 | 7,620 | 65.5% | |
| 1860 | 9,237 | 21.2% | |
| 1870 | 5,975 | −35.3% | |
| 1880 | 8,455 | 41.5% | |
| 1890 | 11,249 | 33.0% | |
| 1900 | 12,792 | 13.7% | |
| 1910 | 16,259 | 27.1% | |
| 1920 | 16,518 | 1.6% | |
| 1930 | 15,130 | −8.4% | |
| 1940 | 16,827 | 11.2% | |
| 1950 | 13,624 | −19.0% | |
| 1960 | 11,056 | −18.8% | |
| 1970 | 10,019 | −9.4% | |
| 1980 | 12,103 | 20.8% | |
| 1990 | 11,648 | −3.8% | |
| 2000 | 13,948 | 19.7% | |
| 2010 | 13,923 | −0.2% | |
| 2020 | 13,726 | −1.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 14,300 | [6] | 4.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 13,726. The median age was 41.2 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 130.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 133.9 males age 18 and over.[11][12]
The racial makeup of the county was 91.6% White, 3.6%Black or African American, 0.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.0% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.[12]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 4,841 households in the county, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 5,610 housing units, of which 13.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.5% were owner-occupied and 22.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%.[11]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 13,948 people, 4,752 households, and 3,568 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 37 per square mile (14/km2). There were 5,487 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.59%White, 4.38%Black orAfrican American, 0.15%Native American, 0.16%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.06% fromother races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 4,752 households, out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.40% weremarried couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.40% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 123.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $21,869, and the median income for a family was $26,135. Males had a median income of $23,966 versus $18,463 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $12,657. 27.20% of the population and 23.50% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 33.90% are under the age of 18 and 28.50% are 65 or older.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 876 | 29.94% | 1,800 | 61.52% | 250 | 8.54% |
| 1916 | 1,123 | 32.43% | 2,319 | 66.97% | 21 | 0.61% |
| 1920 | 1,802 | 34.88% | 3,347 | 64.79% | 17 | 0.33% |
| 1924 | 1,805 | 35.09% | 3,311 | 64.37% | 28 | 0.54% |
| 1928 | 2,025 | 44.02% | 2,575 | 55.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 1,435 | 25.70% | 4,137 | 74.09% | 12 | 0.21% |
| 1936 | 1,269 | 28.01% | 3,256 | 71.86% | 6 | 0.13% |
| 1940 | 1,509 | 26.67% | 4,148 | 73.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 1,217 | 27.26% | 3,242 | 72.63% | 5 | 0.11% |
| 1948 | 987 | 21.94% | 3,488 | 77.53% | 24 | 0.53% |
| 1952 | 1,311 | 29.29% | 3,161 | 70.62% | 4 | 0.09% |
| 1956 | 1,878 | 37.20% | 3,164 | 62.68% | 6 | 0.12% |
| 1960 | 1,718 | 37.12% | 2,910 | 62.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 546 | 14.05% | 3,293 | 84.72% | 48 | 1.23% |
| 1968 | 1,341 | 33.86% | 2,222 | 56.10% | 398 | 10.05% |
| 1972 | 1,535 | 45.56% | 1,815 | 53.87% | 19 | 0.56% |
| 1976 | 973 | 24.97% | 2,897 | 74.34% | 27 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 1,450 | 34.53% | 2,698 | 64.25% | 51 | 1.21% |
| 1984 | 1,834 | 42.36% | 2,481 | 57.30% | 15 | 0.35% |
| 1988 | 1,452 | 38.04% | 2,329 | 61.02% | 36 | 0.94% |
| 1992 | 1,239 | 28.09% | 2,655 | 60.19% | 517 | 11.72% |
| 1996 | 1,439 | 38.94% | 1,843 | 49.88% | 413 | 11.18% |
| 2000 | 2,295 | 54.13% | 1,875 | 44.22% | 70 | 1.65% |
| 2004 | 2,682 | 50.87% | 2,532 | 48.03% | 58 | 1.10% |
| 2008 | 2,396 | 54.72% | 1,879 | 42.91% | 104 | 2.37% |
| 2012 | 3,021 | 67.55% | 1,369 | 30.61% | 82 | 1.83% |
| 2016 | 3,628 | 75.98% | 1,006 | 21.07% | 141 | 2.95% |
| 2020 | 4,301 | 77.58% | 1,175 | 21.19% | 68 | 1.23% |
| 2024 | 4,353 | 80.94% | 939 | 17.46% | 86 | 1.60% |
Morgan County a historically Democratic county, with the party's candidate winning it in every presidential election until 2000, when George W. Bush became the first Republican to ever carry the county. In the 21st century, like almost all of Kentucky, the county has flipped to the Republicans in most elections.
| Elected officials as of January 3, 2025[15][16] | ||
| U.S. House | Hal Rogers (R) | KY 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Brandon Smith (R) | 30 |
| Ky. House | Richard White (R) | 99 |
Municipalities and communities ofMorgan County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Counties | |
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| Cities and towns Over 10k | |
| Cities and towns 5k-10k | |
| Cities and towns 1k-5k | |
| Cities and towns under 1k | |
| Statistical areas | |
| See also | |
37°55′N83°16′W / 37.92°N 83.26°W /37.92; -83.26
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
