Marion County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Marion County courthouse in Lebanon | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
 Kentucky's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°33′N85°16′W / 37.55°N 85.27°W /37.55; -85.27 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | 1834 |
| Named after | Francis Marion |
| Seat | Lebanon |
| Largest city | Lebanon |
| Area | |
• Total | 347 sq mi (900 km2) |
| • Land | 343 sq mi (890 km2) |
| • Water | 3.9 sq mi (10 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,581 |
• Estimate (2024) | 19,851 |
| • Density | 57.1/sq mi (22.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Marion County is acounty in theU.S. state ofKentucky. As of the2020 census, the total population was 19,581.[1] Itscounty seat isLebanon.[2] The county was founded in 1834 and named forFrancis Marion, the American Revolutionary War hero known as the "Swamp Fox".[3][4][5]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 347 square miles (900 km2), of which 343 square miles (890 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (1.1%) is water.[6]
Marion County was formed in 1834 from part of Washington County.[7]Marion County is Kentucky's most Catholic county.[citation needed]The first Catholic settlers in Kentucky came to Holy Cross in the western part of the county circa 1790. According to planar projection maps of Kentucky, Marion County includes the center of the state of Kentucky located 3 miles NNW of Lebanon just off KY 429. The actual physical center of Kentucky is disputed by surrounding counties[8] and due to use of planar methods[9] and projections used when thegeographic centers of the United States were initially determined.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 11,032 | — | |
| 1850 | 11,765 | 6.6% | |
| 1860 | 12,593 | 7.0% | |
| 1870 | 12,838 | 1.9% | |
| 1880 | 14,693 | 14.4% | |
| 1890 | 15,648 | 6.5% | |
| 1900 | 16,290 | 4.1% | |
| 1910 | 16,330 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 15,527 | −4.9% | |
| 1930 | 15,499 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 16,913 | 9.1% | |
| 1950 | 17,212 | 1.8% | |
| 1960 | 16,887 | −1.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,714 | −1.0% | |
| 1980 | 17,910 | 7.2% | |
| 1990 | 16,499 | −7.9% | |
| 2000 | 18,212 | 10.4% | |
| 2010 | 19,820 | 8.8% | |
| 2020 | 19,581 | −1.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 19,851 | [10] | 1.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 18,212 people, 6,613 households, and 4,754 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 53 per square mile (20/km2). There were 7,277 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.17%White, 9.12%Black orAfrican American, 0.09%Native American, 0.43%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.35% fromother races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 6,613 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% weremarried couples living together, 13.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06.
By age, 25.20% of the population was under 18, 9.90% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.80%were 65 years or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,387, and the median income for a family was $35,648. Males had a median income of $27,826 versus $20,699 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,472. About 15.80% of families and 18.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.80% of those under age 18 and 17.90% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 735 | 21.99% | 1,848 | 55.30% | 759 | 22.71% |
| 1916 | 1,396 | 40.15% | 2,063 | 59.33% | 18 | 0.52% |
| 1920 | 2,431 | 38.85% | 3,807 | 60.83% | 20 | 0.32% |
| 1924 | 1,975 | 38.53% | 3,055 | 59.60% | 96 | 1.87% |
| 1928 | 2,395 | 40.85% | 3,461 | 59.03% | 7 | 0.12% |
| 1932 | 1,571 | 26.09% | 4,427 | 73.53% | 23 | 0.38% |
| 1936 | 1,567 | 30.45% | 3,526 | 68.52% | 53 | 1.03% |
| 1940 | 1,763 | 33.49% | 3,482 | 66.15% | 19 | 0.36% |
| 1944 | 1,673 | 35.64% | 2,996 | 63.83% | 25 | 0.53% |
| 1948 | 1,171 | 27.42% | 3,008 | 70.43% | 92 | 2.15% |
| 1952 | 2,262 | 41.67% | 3,159 | 58.19% | 8 | 0.15% |
| 1956 | 2,945 | 49.98% | 2,927 | 49.68% | 20 | 0.34% |
| 1960 | 2,203 | 33.92% | 4,292 | 66.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,074 | 20.10% | 4,265 | 79.81% | 5 | 0.09% |
| 1968 | 1,620 | 33.02% | 2,436 | 49.65% | 850 | 17.33% |
| 1972 | 2,370 | 49.74% | 2,351 | 49.34% | 44 | 0.92% |
| 1976 | 1,723 | 32.38% | 3,520 | 66.14% | 79 | 1.48% |
| 1980 | 2,126 | 36.55% | 3,577 | 61.50% | 113 | 1.94% |
| 1984 | 3,305 | 53.66% | 2,835 | 46.03% | 19 | 0.31% |
| 1988 | 2,500 | 44.07% | 3,152 | 55.56% | 21 | 0.37% |
| 1992 | 2,091 | 33.06% | 3,403 | 53.81% | 830 | 13.12% |
| 1996 | 2,013 | 35.25% | 2,922 | 51.17% | 775 | 13.57% |
| 2000 | 3,259 | 52.77% | 2,778 | 44.98% | 139 | 2.25% |
| 2004 | 3,905 | 53.10% | 3,399 | 46.22% | 50 | 0.68% |
| 2008 | 3,842 | 50.45% | 3,596 | 47.22% | 177 | 2.32% |
| 2012 | 3,800 | 51.93% | 3,418 | 46.71% | 100 | 1.37% |
| 2016 | 5,122 | 63.15% | 2,679 | 33.03% | 310 | 3.82% |
| 2020 | 6,113 | 68.47% | 2,722 | 30.49% | 93 | 1.04% |
| 2024 | 6,473 | 71.12% | 2,513 | 27.61% | 116 | 1.27% |
| Elected officials as of January 3, 2025[16][17] | ||
| U.S. House | James Comer (R) | KY 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Jimmy Higdon (R) | 14 |
| Ky. House | Michael Sarge Pollock (R) | 51 |
All areas in Marion County are in theMarion County School District.[18] The district's comprehensive high school isMarion County High School.
Lebanon has alending library, the Marion County Public Library.[19]
{{cite web}}:|last3= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Municipalities and communities ofMarion County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
37°33′N85°16′W / 37.55°N 85.27°W /37.55; -85.27
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