Powell County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Powell County courthouse in Stanton | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
 Kentucky's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°50′N83°50′W / 37.83°N 83.83°W /37.83; -83.83 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | 1852 |
| Named after | Lazarus W. Powell |
| Seat | Stanton |
| Area | |
• Total | 180 sq mi (470 km2) |
| • Land | 179 sq mi (460 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) 0.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,129 |
• Estimate (2024) | 12,928 |
| • Density | 73.3/sq mi (28.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | powellcountyky |
Powell County is acounty located in theU.S. Commonwealth ofKentucky. As of the2020 census, the population was 13,129.[1] Itscounty seat isStanton.[2] The county was formed January 7, 1852, byKentucky GovernorLazarus W. Powell from parts of Clark, Estill, and Montgomery counties.[3] It is no longer adry county as of 2018. Powell County is home toNatural Bridge State Resort Park and theRed River Gorge Geologic Area, two of Kentucky's most important natural areas andecotourism destinations, as well as the Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 180 square miles (470 km2), of which 179 square miles (460 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.6%) is water.[4]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 2,257 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,599 | 15.2% | |
| 1880 | 3,639 | 40.0% | |
| 1890 | 4,698 | 29.1% | |
| 1900 | 6,443 | 37.1% | |
| 1910 | 6,268 | −2.7% | |
| 1920 | 6,745 | 7.6% | |
| 1930 | 5,800 | −14.0% | |
| 1940 | 7,671 | 32.3% | |
| 1950 | 6,812 | −11.2% | |
| 1960 | 6,674 | −2.0% | |
| 1970 | 7,704 | 15.4% | |
| 1980 | 11,101 | 44.1% | |
| 1990 | 11,686 | 5.3% | |
| 2000 | 13,237 | 13.3% | |
| 2010 | 12,613 | −4.7% | |
| 2020 | 13,129 | 4.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 12,928 | [5] | −1.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 13,237 people, 5,044 households, and 3,783 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 74 per square mile (29/km2). There were 5,526 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.56%White, 0.62%Black orAfrican American, 0.12%Native American, 0.05%Asian, 0.07% fromother races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 5,044 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% weremarried couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.00% were non-families. 21.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,515, and the median income for a family was $30,483. Males had a median income of $26,962 versus $18,810 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,060. About 18.90% of families and 23.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 31.00% of those under age 18 and 20.00% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 381 | 31.83% | 647 | 54.05% | 169 | 14.12% |
| 1916 | 587 | 43.68% | 757 | 56.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 835 | 44.32% | 1,038 | 55.10% | 11 | 0.58% |
| 1924 | 724 | 42.87% | 939 | 55.60% | 26 | 1.54% |
| 1928 | 1,160 | 61.31% | 732 | 38.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 826 | 38.69% | 1,300 | 60.89% | 9 | 0.42% |
| 1936 | 998 | 45.43% | 1,185 | 53.94% | 14 | 0.64% |
| 1940 | 989 | 43.57% | 1,266 | 55.77% | 15 | 0.66% |
| 1944 | 902 | 46.71% | 1,023 | 52.98% | 6 | 0.31% |
| 1948 | 719 | 41.51% | 975 | 56.29% | 38 | 2.19% |
| 1952 | 992 | 44.83% | 1,218 | 55.04% | 3 | 0.14% |
| 1956 | 1,339 | 49.87% | 1,343 | 50.02% | 3 | 0.11% |
| 1960 | 1,508 | 57.34% | 1,122 | 42.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 993 | 37.83% | 1,622 | 61.79% | 10 | 0.38% |
| 1968 | 1,157 | 42.57% | 934 | 34.36% | 627 | 23.07% |
| 1972 | 1,766 | 58.40% | 1,230 | 40.67% | 28 | 0.93% |
| 1976 | 1,148 | 37.90% | 1,859 | 61.37% | 22 | 0.73% |
| 1980 | 1,716 | 45.55% | 2,006 | 53.25% | 45 | 1.19% |
| 1984 | 2,269 | 58.83% | 1,575 | 40.83% | 13 | 0.34% |
| 1988 | 2,128 | 49.98% | 2,113 | 49.62% | 17 | 0.40% |
| 1992 | 1,809 | 35.89% | 2,323 | 46.08% | 909 | 18.03% |
| 1996 | 1,526 | 36.00% | 2,156 | 50.86% | 557 | 13.14% |
| 2000 | 2,258 | 51.77% | 2,008 | 46.03% | 96 | 2.20% |
| 2004 | 2,687 | 54.17% | 2,249 | 45.34% | 24 | 0.48% |
| 2008 | 2,837 | 57.06% | 2,065 | 41.53% | 70 | 1.41% |
| 2012 | 2,766 | 61.73% | 1,620 | 36.15% | 95 | 2.12% |
| 2016 | 3,513 | 70.87% | 1,272 | 25.66% | 172 | 3.47% |
| 2020 | 4,041 | 73.41% | 1,367 | 24.83% | 97 | 1.76% |
| 2024 | 4,092 | 76.22% | 1,174 | 21.87% | 103 | 1.92% |
In recent federal elections, Powell County has been reliably Republican.
| Elected officials as of January 3, 2025[11][12] | ||
| U.S. House | Andy Barr (R) | KY 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Brandon Smith (R) | 30 |
| Ky. House | Bill Wesley (R) | 91 |
Powell County is home to Natural Bridge State Resort Park. The park is abundant with Native American relics, shelters, and burial grounds. The main attraction is the bridge itself, a natural arch with more than 15 million pounds (6,800 t) of rock in suspension. It is 30 feet (9.1 m) wide at the top and 85 feet (26 m) at the base; one of the more than 70 natural arches located in the area.[13]
Municipalities and communities ofPowell County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated 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°50′N83°50′W / 37.83°N 83.83°W /37.83; -83.83
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