Clinton County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Clinton County courthouse in Albany | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
| Coordinates:36°43′N85°08′W / 36.72°N 85.13°W /36.72; -85.13 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | February 20, 1835 |
| Named after | DeWitt Clinton |
| Seat | Albany |
| Largest city | Albany |
| Area | |
• Total | 205 sq mi (530 km2) |
| • Land | 197 sq mi (510 km2) |
| • Water | 8.2 sq mi (21 km2) 4.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,253 |
• Estimate (2024) | 9,183 |
| • Density | 47.0/sq mi (18.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | clintoncounty |
Clinton County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKentucky in thePennyrile Region along the southern border withTennessee. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 9,253.[1] Itscounty seat isAlbany.[2] The county was formed in 1835 and named forDeWitt Clinton, the seventhGovernor of New York.[3] It is a prohibition ordry county.
Clinton County was formed on February 20, 1835, from portions of Cumberland and Wayne counties. It was named forDeWitt Clinton,governor of New York and driving force behind theErie Canal.[4]
Courthouse fires in 1864 (Confederate guerrillas) and 1980 resulted in the destruction of county records, but in the latter case, local volunteers' assistance successfully preserved almost all records.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 205 square miles (530 km2), of which 197 square miles (510 km2) is land and 8.2 square miles (21 km2) (4.0%) is water.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 3,863 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,889 | 26.6% | |
| 1860 | 5,781 | 18.2% | |
| 1870 | 6,497 | 12.4% | |
| 1880 | 7,212 | 11.0% | |
| 1890 | 7,047 | −2.3% | |
| 1900 | 7,871 | 11.7% | |
| 1910 | 8,153 | 3.6% | |
| 1920 | 8,589 | 5.3% | |
| 1930 | 9,004 | 4.8% | |
| 1940 | 10,279 | 14.2% | |
| 1950 | 10,650 | 3.6% | |
| 1960 | 8,886 | −16.6% | |
| 1970 | 8,174 | −8.0% | |
| 1980 | 9,321 | 14.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,135 | −2.0% | |
| 2000 | 9,634 | 5.5% | |
| 2010 | 10,272 | 6.6% | |
| 2020 | 9,253 | −9.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 9,183 | [7] | −0.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2021[12] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 9,253. The median age was 43.2 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
The racial makeup of the county was 94.5% White, 0.4%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 3.2% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.6% of the population.[14]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 3,942 households in the county, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 4,841 housing units, of which 18.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.3% were owner-occupied and 29.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.[13]
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 9,634 people, 4,086 households, and 2,811 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 49 per square mile (19/km2). There were 4,888 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.09%White, 0.10%Black orAfrican American, 0.25%Native American, 0.04%Asian, 0.11%Pacific Islander, 0.08% fromother races, and 0.32% from two or more races. 1.22% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 4,086 households, out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% weremarried couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $19,563, and the median income for a family was $25,919. Males had a median income of $21,193 versus $16,194 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,286. About 20.20% of families and 25.80% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 31.80% of those under age 18 and 29.90% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 828 | 65.25% | 310 | 24.43% | 131 | 10.32% |
| 1916 | 1,260 | 76.23% | 379 | 22.93% | 14 | 0.85% |
| 1920 | 2,356 | 84.20% | 431 | 15.40% | 11 | 0.39% |
| 1924 | 2,069 | 78.70% | 543 | 20.65% | 17 | 0.65% |
| 1928 | 2,580 | 88.81% | 325 | 11.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 2,422 | 72.73% | 908 | 27.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 2,147 | 75.39% | 701 | 24.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 2,573 | 77.31% | 755 | 22.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,618 | 82.20% | 564 | 17.71% | 3 | 0.09% |
| 1948 | 2,295 | 74.22% | 709 | 22.93% | 88 | 2.85% |
| 1952 | 2,856 | 80.54% | 678 | 19.12% | 12 | 0.34% |
| 1956 | 3,396 | 81.89% | 747 | 18.01% | 4 | 0.10% |
| 1960 | 3,524 | 84.11% | 666 | 15.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,351 | 69.78% | 994 | 29.50% | 24 | 0.71% |
| 1968 | 2,572 | 75.09% | 568 | 16.58% | 285 | 8.32% |
| 1972 | 2,632 | 79.59% | 659 | 19.93% | 16 | 0.48% |
| 1976 | 2,354 | 69.46% | 987 | 29.12% | 48 | 1.42% |
| 1980 | 3,539 | 77.10% | 1,000 | 21.79% | 51 | 1.11% |
| 1984 | 3,459 | 80.03% | 838 | 19.39% | 25 | 0.58% |
| 1988 | 3,248 | 77.80% | 899 | 21.53% | 28 | 0.67% |
| 1992 | 2,830 | 63.80% | 1,241 | 27.98% | 365 | 8.23% |
| 1996 | 2,521 | 63.41% | 1,072 | 26.96% | 383 | 9.63% |
| 2000 | 3,224 | 74.89% | 1,032 | 23.97% | 49 | 1.14% |
| 2004 | 3,369 | 77.41% | 952 | 21.88% | 31 | 0.71% |
| 2008 | 3,366 | 80.68% | 761 | 18.24% | 45 | 1.08% |
| 2012 | 3,569 | 81.24% | 752 | 17.12% | 72 | 1.64% |
| 2016 | 3,809 | 85.37% | 547 | 12.26% | 106 | 2.38% |
| 2020 | 4,280 | 86.78% | 603 | 12.23% | 49 | 0.99% |
| 2024 | 4,276 | 87.43% | 549 | 11.22% | 66 | 1.35% |
Clinton County, like other counties in South Central and Southeastern Kentucky, has voted overwhelmingly Republican in presidential elections ever sinceReconstruction ended. Counties in theAppalachian Mountains were less conducive to large-scaleplantation farming that utilizedslave labor and thus were more resistant tosecession from theUnion. Clinton County, being located on the western foothills of theCumberland Plateau, reflected this with its voting patterns, having voted Republican even through the several partyrealignments since Reconstruction. Relative to population, Clinton County was a leader in providing soldiers for theUnion Army during theU.S. Civil War, seeing 12.54% of its white population volunteer for Union service, exceeded only by the now-similarly RepublicanOwsley,Estill andClay counties.[18]
The last Democrat to carry Clinton County wasHoratio Seymour in 1868 – when party realignment was just beginning – and the last Democrat to pass so much as 30 percent of the county's vote wasGrover Cleveland in 1888. Nor has any Republican in this time span – evenWilliam Howard Taft during the divided 1912 election – fallen short of 60 percent.Jackson County is the only other county in the United States that has seen no Democrat reach 30 percent since the beginning of the 1890s, and apart from these two onlyHooker County, Nebraska has seen no Democrat reach 30 percent since 1940.
| Elected officials as of January 3, 2025[19][20] | ||
| U.S. House | James Comer (R) | KY 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Rick Girdler (R) | 15 |
| Ky. House | Josh Branscum (R) | 83 |
Municipalities and communities ofClinton County, Kentucky,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
36°43′N85°08′W / 36.72°N 85.13°W /36.72; -85.13
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