Central KY’s population grew in the last 5 years. Fayette County isn’t driving it
The greater Lexington area grew faster than Kentucky as a whole over the past five years or so and is seeing its population of young people and racial minorities grow.
That is according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which released the results of the 2024 American Community Survey last month. The survey captures data from 2020 to 2024, meaning it is less a crystal ball and more a highlight reel. There is also room for error, especially in more local data.
While Fayette County itself is growing slower than nearby counties, the area as a whole is showing healthy signs, in keeping with trends in the Sun Belt.
Lexington area has grown over the past roughly five years
Lexington grew by 3,000 people from the 2019 American Community Survey, or 1%, slower than most of its immediate suburbs. Scott County is the fastest growing of those around Fayette County, having gained about 5,000 people in roughly five years.
Kentucky as a whole grew by 1.9%, outpacing Bourbon and Fayette counties.
Lexington is attracting more young people
The area’s growth is driven in part by an increase in young people. Scott County, already fairly young for the area, saw its population of under-30 residents increase by 8% from the 2019 American Community Survey. All of Fayette’s surrounding counties also saw an increase, though Lexington itself saw its under-30 population drop by 1%.
The commonwealth’s under-30 population decreased marginally over the five-year period.
Lexington area has aged only slightly
Kentucky and the Lexington are not getting much older. No county in Central Kentucky saw its median age increase by more than a year, and two counties — Clark and Woodford — saw their median age decrease.
Kentucky’s population overall aged by 0.2 years.
Lexington area is getting more racially diverse
While most counties in the Lexington area are and have been whiter than the commonwealth as a whole, the area is getting more racially diverse.
Lexington itself saw its white, non-Hispanic fall to two-thirds of its overall population, down from 71% in the 2019 American Community Survey. The other counties in the area also grew more racially diverse, albeit by smaller margins. Scott and Jessamine counties both saw pronounced drops in their percentage of white, non-Hispanic residents.
Kentucky as a whole saw the non-Hispanic white segment of its population fall from 84.5% to 81.5%.
The diversification of Central Kentucky is largely driven by an increase in people identifying as multiracial. Each county saw its proportion of multiracial people increase by at least two percentage points from 2019.
Bourbon County, which had the smallest overall population increase in the area, saw the biggest jump in the multiracial segment of its population — from 0.4% to 7.2% — though it may be more susceptible to noisy swings due to its lower population.
Jessamine and Fayette counties also saw significant jumps in the proportion of their populations identifying as multiracial. Kentucky as a whole went from 2.3% to 6.2%.
The proportion of the area identifying as Asian and Black hardly budged. The Asian population grew in most of the counties around Fayette, but the total proportion of the population increased by less than one percentage point.
The Black population flattened or decreased slightly in most areas, but its proportion of the population also moved by less than a percentage point.
Do you have a question about Lexington or Central Kentucky for the Herald-Leader? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
