United States · state

Kentucky population 2026

Q: What is the population of Kentucky in 2026?

The latest official figure is 4,606,864, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Kentucky would have about 4.6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Kentucky has 4,606,864 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 22,818 more than a year earlier (+0.50%). It is 26th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 1.3% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 4.6 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Kentucky in numbers

Population: 4.6 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.50% +22,818 people
Change since 2020: +2.19% from 4.5 million
Share of the US: 1.3% 26th of 50 states and DC
Population density: 45per km² 102,267 km²
Births in the year: 53 thousand deaths: 53 thousand
International migration: +16 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: +7 thousand more people moved in than left

In the latest year deaths outnumbered births by 83, 15,709 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 7,269 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

That is about as many people as Panama (4.6 million).

Population of Kentucky by year

4.6M

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	4,348,464
2011	4,370,817
2012	4,387,865
2013	4,406,906
2014	4,416,992
2015	4,429,126
2016	4,440,306
2017	4,455,590
2018	4,464,273
2019	4,472,345
2020	4,508,271
2021	4,508,348
2022	4,521,238
2023	4,549,953
2024	4,584,046
2025	4,606,864

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	4,606,864	+22,818	+0.50%
2024	4,584,046	+34,093	+0.75%
2023	4,549,953	+28,715	+0.64%
2022	4,521,238	+12,890	+0.29%
2021	4,508,348	+77	+0.00%
2020	4,508,271	+35,926	+0.80%
2019	4,472,345	+8,072	+0.18%
2018	4,464,273	+8,683	+0.19%
2017	4,455,590	+15,284	+0.34%
2016	4,440,306	+11,180	+0.25%
2015	4,429,126	+12,134	+0.27%
2014	4,416,992	+10,086	+0.23%
2013	4,406,906	+19,041	+0.43%
2012	4,387,865	+17,048	+0.39%
2011	4,370,817	+22,353	+0.51%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Kentucky among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Kentucky

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Louisville624,444
Lexington320,347
Lexington-Fayette314,488
Meads288,649
Bowling Green63,616
Owensboro59,042

Questions

What is the population of Kentucky in 2026?

The latest official figure is 4,606,864, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Kentucky would have about 4.6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Kentucky’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 22,818 people (+0.50%) in the latest year, and has changed +2.19% since 2020. In the latest year deaths outnumbered births by 83, 15,709 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 7,269 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

How does Kentucky rank in the US?

Kentucky is 26th of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 1.3% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Kentucky?

About 45 people per km², on 102,267 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Kentucky?

Louisville, with about 624 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Kentucky population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/kentucky/

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