Lexington is a urban county located in Fayette County Kentucky. Lexington has a 2024 population of 319,329. Lexington is currently declining at a rate of -0.26% annually and its population has decreased by -1.02% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 322,627 in 2020.
The average household income in Lexington is $96,124 with a poverty rate of 14.93%. The median age in Lexington is 35.2 years: 34.3 years for males, and 36.1 years for females.
Lexington is a city located in Fayette County in Kentucky. Lexington is known as “Horse Capital of the World” and the Kentucky Horse Park, The Red Mile, and Keeneland racecourses are all located in Lexington.
According to the 2010 United States census, Lexington was 75.7% white, 14.5% African American, 3.2% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.21% of other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.
According to the Lexington government, There are over 185 languages spoken in Lexington, with the top ten foreign languages being Spanish, Swahili, Arabic, Japanese, Nepali, French, Mandarin, Kinyarwanda, Korean and Portuguese in addition to the official language, English. The largest of these languages is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.2% of the population.
The Lexington metro area grew by 7.1% from 2010 to 2016, more than the national average growth rate of 4.5%. Lexington’s average annual growth rate is about 1.1%. According to the Census Bureau, this can be attributed to domestic migration and international immigration and a higher birth-to-death ratio.
Lexington’s population saw the largest growth from 1970 to 1980, where the population grew over 96,000 from 108,137 to 204,165.
Lexington was first founded in June of 1775 by European-American frontiersmen. Upon hearing of the news of colonist victory in the battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the frontiersmen decided to name the land Lexington. The area of modern-day Lexington was originally considered to be part of Fincastle County, Virginia. Seventeen years later, Kentucky would become a state.
In 1780, Lexington was made the seat of the newly organized Fayette County in Virginia. The town was chartered on May 6, 1782, by the Virginia legislature. Kentucky became a state in 1790, and the first session of the Kentucky legislature was held in Lexington in 1792.
Horseracing was prohibited in Lexington until 1788, and from then on, the devotion to horse racing has remained a passion in Lexington. The American Thoroughbred Breeders Association has its headquarters in Lexington. Lexington has several horseracing and sales facilities, as well as museums of horses and the sport.
In 1865, the University of Kentucky and Lexington Theological Seminary were founded.
During the Great Depression, the Addiction Research Center (ARC) was created at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Lexington and was one of the first drug rehabilitation clinics in the United States.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Lexington was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 230,704 | 71.81% |
| Black or African American | 47,240 | 14.7% |
| Two or more races | 20,415 | 6.35% |
| Asian | 13,248 | 4.12% |
| Other race | 9,036 | 2.81% |
| Native American | 584 | 0.18% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 49 | 0.02% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 136,104 | 2.27 | 54.3 | 45.7 |
| Non Family | 60,154 | 1.3 | 39 | 61 |
| Married | 54,674 | 3.04 | 76.7 | 23.3 |
| Female | 15,058 | 3.08 | 37.1 | 62.9 |
| Male | 6,218 | 2.92 | 47.9 | 52.1 |
2.94
Average Family Size
2.27
Average Household Size
54.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 9,715 | 4.64% |
| Associates Degree | 16,337 | 7.8% |
| Bachelors Degree | 54,431 | 25.97% |
| Graduate Degree | 43,109 | 20.57% |
| High School Graduate | 39,312 | 18.76% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 6,735 | 3.21% |
| Some College | 39,919 | 19.05% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 154,320 | 147,494 | 79,126 |
| Black | 29,180 | 25,705 | 7,298 |
| Hispanic | 11,793 | 7,282 | 2,932 |
| Asian | 8,670 | 7,742 | 6,131 |
| 2+ Races | 8,337 | 6,546 | 2,861 |
| Other Race | 4,712 | 2,578 | 783 |
| Native American | 427 | 320 | 80 |
| Islander | 49 | 32 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.58%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 70.72%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $56,322 | $65,657 | $46,917 |
| Graduate Degree | $71,490 | $83,304 | $63,826 |
| High School Graduate | $33,031 | $36,629 | $28,989 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $24,011 | $27,589 | $22,796 |
| Overall | $45,963 | $52,258 | $40,792 |
| Some College | $40,032 | $45,238 | $35,495 |
$45,963
Average Earnings
$52,258
Average Male
$40,792
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
86.37% of Lexington residents speak only English, while 13.63% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 6.13% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 215,449 | 25,259 | 11.72% |
| Black | 45,170 | 11,656 | 25.8% |
| Hispanic | 23,250 | 5,513 | 23.71% |
| Multiple | 19,654 | 4,661 | 23.72% |
| Other | 8,810 | 2,030 | 23.04% |
| Asian | 12,864 | 1,227 | 9.54% |
| Native | 541 | 142 | 26.25% |
14.93%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.86%
Male Poverty Rate
15.97%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Lexington is Native, with 26.25% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Lexington is Asian, with 9.54% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.85%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.92%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.22%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 29.62% |
| High School | 15.18% |
| Some College | 10.37% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 4.75% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 36.35% |
| Male Unemployed | 32.38% |
| Female Employed | 11.16% |
| Male Employed | 7.61% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $91,263 | $121,907 |
| Households | $66,087 | $96,124 |
| Married Families | $114,107 | $145,505 |
| Non Families | $41,380 | $59,975 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
43.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.2%
Male Marriage Rate
42.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
14,081
Number of Veterans
12,759
Male Veterans
1,322
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 4,594 |
| First Gulf War | 3,535 |
| Second Gulf War | 3,392 |
| Korea | 826 |
| World War II | 204 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 3,659 |
| 35 to 54 | 3,444 |
| 75+ | 3,013 |
| 55 to 64 | 2,657 |
| 18 to 34 | 1,308 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 11,019 | 5.76% |
| Black | 2,323 | 6.47% |
| 2+ Races | 471 | 4.15% |
| Hispanic | 361 | 2.46% |
| Other Race | 109 | 1.99% |
| Asian | 100 | 0.96% |
| Native American | 59 | 12.19% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.12%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.23%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
67.9%
Labor Force Participation
64.6%
Employment Rate
5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
58.1%
Born in Lexington
89.78%
Native Born
10.22%
Foreign Born
6.55%
Non Citizen
3.67%
Naturalized
89.78% of Lexington residents were born in the United States, with 58.1% having been born in Kentucky. 6.55% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 315,208 | -824 | -0.26% |
| 2028 | 316,032 | -824 | -0.26% |
| 2027 | 316,856 | -825 | -0.26% |
| 2026 | 317,681 | -824 | -0.26% |
| 2025 | 318,505 | -824 | -0.26% |
| 2024 | 319,329 | -825 | -0.26% |
| 2023 | 320,154 | -127 | -0.04% |
| 2022 | 320,281 | -238 | -0.07% |
| 2021 | 320,519 | -2,108 | -0.65% |
| 2020 | 322,627 | -1,295 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 323,922 | 1,325 | 0.41% |
| 2018 | 322,597 | 1,043 | 0.32% |
| 2017 | 321,554 | 3,364 | 1.06% |
| 2016 | 318,190 | 2,111 | 0.67% |
| 2015 | 316,079 | 4,087 | 1.31% |
| 2014 | 311,992 | 1,967 | 0.63% |
| 2013 | 310,025 | 3,963 | 1.29% |
| 2012 | 306,062 | 4,296 | 1.42% |
| 2011 | 301,766 | 4,898 | 1.65% |
| 2010 | 296,868 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 260,512 | 35,146 | 15.6% |
| 1990 | 225,366 | 21,201 | 10.38% |
| 1980 | 204,165 | 96,028 | 88.8% |
| 1970 | 108,137 | 45,327 | 72.17% |
| 1960 | 62,810 | 7,276 | 13.1% |
| 1950 | 55,534 | 6,230 | 12.64% |
| 1940 | 49,304 | 3,568 | 7.8% |
| 1930 | 45,736 | 4,202 | 10.12% |
| 1920 | 41,534 | 6,435 | 18.33% |
| 1910 | 35,099 | 8,730 | 33.11% |
| 1900 | 26,369 | 4,802 | 22.27% |
| 1890 | 21,567 | 4,911 | 29.48% |
| 1880 | 16,656 | 1,855 | 12.53% |
| 1870 | 14,801 | 5,480 | 58.79% |
| 1860 | 9,321 | 1,162 | 14.24% |
| 1850 | 8,159 | 1,162 | 16.61% |
| 1840 | 6,997 | 971 | 16.11% |
| 1830 | 6,026 | 747 | 14.15% |
| 1820 | 5,279 | 953 | 22.03% |
| 1810 | 4,326 | 2,526 | 140.33% |
| 1800 | 1,800 | 1,000 | 125% |
| 1790 | 800 | -314,408 | -99.75% |