Taylor County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
 Entrance toClay Hill, located alongKentucky Route 289. | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
| Coordinates:37°22′N85°20′W / 37.37°N 85.33°W /37.37; -85.33 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Named after | Zachary Taylor |
| Seat | Campbellsville |
| Largest city | Campbellsville |
| Area | |
• Total | 277 sq mi (720 km2) |
| • Land | 266 sq mi (690 km2) |
| • Water | 10 sq mi (26 km2) 3.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 26,023 |
• Estimate (2024) | 26,809 |
| • Density | 97.8/sq mi (37.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Taylor County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKentucky. As of the2020 census, the population was 26,023.[1] Itscounty seat isCampbellsville.[2] Settled by people fromVirginia,Pennsylvania,Maryland, andNorth Carolina after theAmerican Revolutionary War, the county was organized in 1848 in the Highland Rim region. It is named forUnited States ArmyGeneralZachary Taylor, laterPresident of the United States.[3] Taylor County was the 100th of the 120 counties created by Kentucky. The CampbellsvilleMicropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Taylor County.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 277 square miles (720 km2), of which 266 square miles (690 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (3.8%) is water.[4]
Taylor County has a geographic boundary shaped like a heart, and also claims to be the geographic center of Kentucky.[5] It includes a fabled center marker of Kentucky, aU.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey magnetic station marker placed in Taylor County circa 1916 which in time since has been regarded by citizens as the geodetic center of the state. Information on this marker is currently not available in federal databases. The claim to the geographic center of Kentucky is disputed by surrounding counties[6] in part due to the planar methods[7] used to initially determine thegeographic centers of the states.
TheAmerican Civil War skirmish, TheBattle of Tebbs Bend, was fought in Taylor County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 7,251 | — | |
| 1860 | 7,481 | 3.2% | |
| 1870 | 8,226 | 10.0% | |
| 1880 | 9,259 | 12.6% | |
| 1890 | 9,353 | 1.0% | |
| 1900 | 11,075 | 18.4% | |
| 1910 | 11,961 | 8.0% | |
| 1920 | 12,236 | 2.3% | |
| 1930 | 12,047 | −1.5% | |
| 1940 | 13,556 | 12.5% | |
| 1950 | 14,403 | 6.2% | |
| 1960 | 16,285 | 13.1% | |
| 1970 | 17,138 | 5.2% | |
| 1980 | 21,178 | 23.6% | |
| 1990 | 21,146 | −0.2% | |
| 2000 | 22,927 | 8.4% | |
| 2010 | 24,512 | 6.9% | |
| 2020 | 26,023 | 6.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 26,809 | [8] | 3.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 26,023. The median age was 38.9 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.4 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
The racial makeup of the county was 88.1% White, 4.8%Black or African American, 0.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 4.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.8% of the population.[14]
49.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 50.9% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 10,171 households in the county, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 11,199 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.1% were owner-occupied and 35.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%.[13]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 22,927 people, 9,233 households, and 6,555 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 85 per square mile (33/km2). There were 10,180 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.62%White, 5.06%Black orAfrican American, 0.10%Native American, 0.18%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.32% fromother races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 9,233 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% weremarried couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,089, and the median income for a family was $33,854. Males had a median income of $26,633 versus $20,480 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,162. About 14.20% of families and 17.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 18.30% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 468 | 18.86% | 1,150 | 46.35% | 863 | 34.78% |
| 1916 | 1,332 | 49.04% | 1,360 | 50.07% | 24 | 0.88% |
| 1920 | 2,493 | 50.90% | 2,380 | 48.59% | 25 | 0.51% |
| 1924 | 2,267 | 52.09% | 2,052 | 47.15% | 33 | 0.76% |
| 1928 | 3,149 | 65.05% | 1,684 | 34.79% | 8 | 0.17% |
| 1932 | 2,592 | 47.52% | 2,823 | 51.76% | 39 | 0.72% |
| 1936 | 2,738 | 49.87% | 2,732 | 49.76% | 20 | 0.36% |
| 1940 | 2,792 | 49.80% | 2,790 | 49.77% | 24 | 0.43% |
| 1944 | 2,622 | 51.05% | 2,475 | 48.19% | 39 | 0.76% |
| 1948 | 2,087 | 44.79% | 2,415 | 51.82% | 158 | 3.39% |
| 1952 | 3,126 | 55.90% | 2,439 | 43.62% | 27 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | 3,892 | 61.37% | 2,433 | 38.36% | 17 | 0.27% |
| 1960 | 4,669 | 68.11% | 2,186 | 31.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,594 | 45.44% | 3,082 | 53.98% | 33 | 0.58% |
| 1968 | 3,032 | 50.88% | 1,367 | 22.94% | 1,560 | 26.18% |
| 1972 | 4,035 | 67.79% | 1,859 | 31.23% | 58 | 0.97% |
| 1976 | 3,337 | 48.60% | 3,456 | 50.33% | 73 | 1.06% |
| 1980 | 4,243 | 54.62% | 3,400 | 43.77% | 125 | 1.61% |
| 1984 | 5,932 | 64.16% | 3,286 | 35.54% | 27 | 0.29% |
| 1988 | 5,362 | 64.76% | 2,879 | 34.77% | 39 | 0.47% |
| 1992 | 4,319 | 48.42% | 3,518 | 39.44% | 1,083 | 12.14% |
| 1996 | 4,573 | 54.87% | 2,897 | 34.76% | 865 | 10.38% |
| 2000 | 6,151 | 67.96% | 2,790 | 30.83% | 110 | 1.22% |
| 2004 | 7,247 | 70.39% | 2,979 | 28.94% | 69 | 0.67% |
| 2008 | 7,568 | 69.69% | 3,165 | 29.14% | 127 | 1.17% |
| 2012 | 7,551 | 68.96% | 3,285 | 30.00% | 114 | 1.04% |
| 2016 | 8,320 | 73.59% | 2,553 | 22.58% | 433 | 3.83% |
| 2020 | 9,376 | 74.91% | 2,963 | 23.67% | 178 | 1.42% |
| 2024 | 9,523 | 77.67% | 2,576 | 21.01% | 162 | 1.32% |
| Elected officials as of January 3, 2025[17][18] | ||
| U.S. House | James Comer (R) | KY 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Max Wise (R) | 16 |
| Ky. House | Michael Sarge Pollock (R) | 51 |
School districts include:[19]
Municipalities and communities ofTaylor County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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37°22′N85°20′W / 37.37°N 85.33°W /37.37; -85.33
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