County population in 2016: 24,439 (31% urban, 69% rural); it was 22,094 in 2000County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 3,238 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 2,564 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 5,528 Renter-occupied apartments: 3,062 (it was 2,399 in 2000)
% of renters here:
30%
State:
31%
Land area: 281 sq. mi.
Water area: 5.4 sq. mi.
Population density: 87 people per square mile (average).
Mar. 2016 cost of living index in Rowan County: 83.9 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
Industries providing employment: Educational, health and social services (37.8%), Construction (16.8%), Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (11.9%).
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2016: $1,020 (0.7%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2016: $708 (0.7%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2016: 25.4%
Rowan County:
25.4%
Kentucky:
18.5%
(26.3% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 12.7% for Black residents, 19.5% for American Indian residents, 19.7% for two or more races residents)
Median age of residents in 2016: 31.1 years old
(Males: 31.1 years old, Females: 31.3 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 32.5 years old, Black residents: 20.1 years old, American Indian residents: 62.4 years old, Asian residents: 13.0 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 35.0 years old, Other race residents: 27.7 years old)
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Rowan County is $421 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $468 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $587 a month.
Current college students: 4,503 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 82.0% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 27.3%
Number of foreign born residents: 758 (37.4% naturalized citizens)
Rowan County:
3.1%
Whole state:
3.5%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
2010 or later: 263
2000 to 2009: 290
1990 to 1999: 60
1980 to 1989: 38
1970 to 1979: 21
Before 1970: 24
Note: State values scaled to Rowan County population
Mean travel time to work (commute): 24.4 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 77.0%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 5,885
One, attached: 101
Two: 211
3 or 4: 516
5 to 9: 303
10 to 19: 354
20 to 49: 35
50 or more: 8
Mobile homes: 2,816
Housing units in Rowan County with a mortgage: 2,797 (51 second mortgage, 263 home equity loan, 0 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 2,423
Here:
50.0% with mortgage
State:
58.7% with mortgage
Religion statistics for Rowan County
Religion
Adherents
Congregations
Evangelical Protestant
3,004
28
Mainline Protestant
962
4
Catholic
365
1
Other
309
2
None
18,693
-
Rowan County Religion Details
Source: Clifford Grammich, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E.Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Richard H.Taylor. 2012. 2010 U.S.Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study. Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Food Environment Statistics:
Number of grocery stores: 7
Rowan County:
3.10 / 10,000 pop.
State:
2.19 / 10,000 pop.
Number of convenience stores (no gas): 2
This county:
0.89 / 10,000 pop.
Kentucky:
0.74 / 10,000 pop.
Number of convenience stores (with gas): 18
Rowan County:
7.97 / 10,000 pop.
Kentucky:
4.36 / 10,000 pop.
Number of full-service restaurants: 9
This county:
3.99 / 10,000 pop.
State:
5.74 / 10,000 pop.
Adult diabetes rate:
Rowan County:
9.7%
Kentucky:
11.0%
Adult obesity rate:
Rowan County:
34.6%
State:
30.0%
Low-income preschool obesity rate:
Here:
16.6%
State:
15.9%
Agriculture in Rowan County:
Average size of farms: 117 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $12,933 Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $196.61 The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 56.58% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $9,859 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 24.50% Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 0.15% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $20,252 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 92.89% Average age of principal farm operators: 55 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 11.60 Corn for grain: 416 harvested acres Vegetables: 26 harvested acres Land in orchards: 22 acres
Earthquake activity:
Rowan County-area historical earthquake activity is near Kentucky state average. It is 79% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
On 7/27/1980 at 18:52:21, a magnitude 5.2 (5.1 MB, 4.7 MS, 5.0 UK, 5.2 UK, Class: Moderate, Intensity: VI - VII) earthquake occurred 27.7 miles away from Rowan County center On 9/7/1988 at 02:28:09, a magnitude 4.6 (4.5 MB, 4.6 LG, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 24.3 miles away from the county center On 4/18/2008 at 09:36:59, a magnitude 5.4 (5.1 MB, 4.8 MS, 5.4 MW, 5.2 MW, Depth: 8.9 mi) earthquake occurred 242.3 miles away from the county center On 6/10/1987 at 23:48:54, a magnitude 5.1 (4.9 MB, 4.4 MS, 4.6 MS, 5.1 LG) earthquake occurred 244.9 miles away from the county center On 11/30/1973 at 07:48:41, a magnitude 4.7 (4.7 MB, 4.6 ML) earthquake occurred 167.7 miles away from Rowan County center On 6/18/2002 at 17:37:15, a magnitude 5.0 (4.3 MB, 4.6 MW, 5.0 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi) earthquake occurred 237.0 miles away from the county center Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB), local magnitude (ML), surface-wave magnitude (MS), moment magnitude (MW)
Most recent natural disasters:
Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, Incident Period: July 11, 2015 to July 20, 2015, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4239: August 12, 2015, FEMA Id: 4239, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Mudslide, Landslide, Flood, Wind
Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, Incident Period: April 02, 2015 to April 17, 2015, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4217: May 01, 2015, FEMA Id: 4217, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Mudslide, Landslide, Flood
Kentucky Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, Incident Period: March 03, 2015 to March 09, 2015, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4218: May 12, 2015, FEMA Id: 4218, Natural disaster type: Snowstorm, Winter Storm, Mudslide, Landslide, Flood
Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, Incident Period: February 29, 2012 to March 03, 2012, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-4057: March 06, 2012, FEMA Id: 4057, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood, Wind
Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: April 12, 2011 to May 20, 2011, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1976: May 04, 2011, FEMA Id: 1976, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Kentucky Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, Incident Period: July 17, 2010 to July 30, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1925: July 23, 2010, FEMA Id: 1925, Natural disaster type: Storm, Mudslide, Flood
Kentucky Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes, Incident Period: May 01, 2010 to June 01, 2010, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1912: May 11, 2010, FEMA Id: 1912, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Mudslide, Flood
Kentucky Severe Winter Storm, Incident Period: January 27, 2009 to February 05, 2009, Emergency Declared EM-3302: January 28, 2009, FEMA Id: 3302, Natural disaster type: Winter Storm
Kentucky Severe Winter Storm and Flooding, Incident Period: January 26, 2009 to February 13, 2009, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared DR-1818: February 05, 2009, FEMA Id: 1818, Natural disaster type: Winter Storm, Flood
Kentucky Hurricane Katrina Evacuation, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 01, 2005, Emergency Declared EM-3231: September 10, 2005, FEMA Id: 3231, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
15 other natural disasters have been reported since 1953.
The number of natural disasters in Rowan County (25) is a lot greater than the US average (13). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 22 Emergencies Declared: 3
Causes of natural disasters: Floods: 17, Storms: 17, Tornadoes: 9, Mudslides: 6, Winter Storms: 6, Landslides: 3, Winds: 2, Blizzard: 1, Freeze: 1, Hurricane: 1, Snow: 1, Snowfall: 1, Snowstorm: 1 (Note: Some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).
Law enforcement workers including supervisors (5%)
Office and administrative support occupations (15%)
Education, training, and library occupations (13%)
Sales and related occupations (12%)
Food preparation and serving related occupations (10%)
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical occupations (7%)
Management occupations (7%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (7%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (45%)
China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan (10%)
Germany (10%)
Costa Rica (9%)
Saudi Arabia (9%)
Canada (3%)
India (2%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Rowan County (%):
American (42%)
Irish (11%)
English (9%)
German (7%)
European (2%)
Scotch-Irish (2%)
Scottish (1%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 9,586 (80.9%)
Carpooled: 1,304 (11.0%)
Bus or trolley bus: 228 (1.9%)
Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means: 87 (0.7%)
Bicycle: 26 (0.2%)
Walked: 214 (1.8%)
Worked at home: 375 (3.2%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders ($)
People in group quarters in Rowan County, Kentucky in 2000:
2,709 people in college dormitories (includes college quarters off campus)
117 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
104 people in nursing homes
43 people in unknown juvenile institutions
32 people in training schools for juvenile delinquents
32 people in homes for the physically handicapped
29 people in homes for the mentally retarded
28 people in other noninstitutional group quarters
17 people in other workers' dormitories
14 people in other group homes
14 people in other nonhousehold living situations
9 people in mental (psychiatric) hospitals or wards
4 people in agriculture workers' dormitories on farms
2 people in hospitals/wards and hospices for chronically ill
2 people in other hospitals or wards for chronically ill
2 people in religious group quarters
People in group quarters in Rowan County, Kentucky in 2010:
2,183 people in college/university student housing
90 people in local jails and other municipal confinement facilities
83 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
24 people in residential treatment centers for juveniles (non-correctional)
19 people in workers' group living quarters and job corps centers
14 people in emergency and transitional shelters (with sleeping facilities) for people experiencing homelessness
11 people in group homes for juveniles (non-correctional)
6 people in group homes intended for adults
5 people in other noninstitutional facilities
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2010 was $44,603.
8.26% of this county's 2011 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2010 ($28,986 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
8.26%
Kentucky average:
6.18%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
5.56% relocated from other counties in Kentucky ($18,069 average AGI)
2.69% relocated from other states ($10,917 average AGI)
Rowan County:
2.69%
Kentucky average:
2.68%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2010 and 2011:
8.32% of this county's 2010 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2011 ($27,201 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
8.32%
Kentucky average:
6.19%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
5.86% relocated to other counties in Kentucky ($17,878 average AGI)
2.46% relocated to other states ($9,322 average AGI)
Rowan County:
2.46%
Kentucky average:
2.68%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2010 and 2011:
Percentage of population without health insurance coverage in Rowan County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2007: 3,563 (2,616 aged, 947 disabled) Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2007: 516 (11%)
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Aged persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Disabled persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare)
Most common underlying causes of death in Rowan County, Kentucky in 1999 - 2014:
Bronchus or lung, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (251)
Stroke, not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (86)
Unspecified dementia (75)
Congestive heart failure (68)
Cardiac arrest, unspecified (55)
Breast, unspecified - Malignant neoplasms (48)
Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 15% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 11%
Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 4.51 Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 25,036 Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 600 Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 134,113
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 985 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 886 Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 9
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 41 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 94
Limited-service eating places per 100,000 population in 2005 : 14
Household type by relationship:
Households: 24,439
In family households: 16,478 (2,535 male householders, 2,481 female householders)
3,465 spouses, 5,899 children (5,244 natural, 223 adopted, 436 stepchildren), 721 grandchildren, 266 brothers or sisters, 256 parents, 257 other relatives, 631 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 5,087 (1,387 male householders (1,019 living alone)), 2,082 female householders (1,700 living alone)), 1,648 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 2,916
Size of family households: 2,466 2-persons, 1,261 3-persons, 843 4-persons, 245 5-persons, 97 6-persons, 90 7-or-more-persons.
2,360 married couples with children.
1,300 single-parent households (355 men, 945 women).
95.0% of residents of Rowan speak English at home.
2.8% of residents speak Spanish at home (47% speak English very well, 4% speak English well, 49% speak English not well).
1.2% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (93% speak English very well, 7% speak English well).
0.2% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (25% speak English very well, 29% speak English well, 45% speak English not well).
0.5% of residents speak other language at home (100% speak English very well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $141,292,000 ($6,371 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $4,045,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $48,166,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $33,093,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $549,000 Federal grants: $51,186,000 Federal procurement contracts: $1,692,000 ($107,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $6,606,000 ($2,190,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $47,621,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $6,372,000 Federal Government insurance: $17,409,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 1,381
Here:
62 per 1000 residents
State:
69 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 912
Here:
41 per 1000 residents
State:
50 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +170
Here:
+8 per 1000 residents
State:
+7 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: -468
Here:
-21 per 1000 residents
State:
+8 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Rowan County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 5.44 millions of gallons per day (all from surface)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
6.4
State:
6.3
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
4.3
State:
4.4
Year house built
2014 or later: 175
2010 to 2013: 243
2000 to 2009: 2,049
1990 to 1999: 1,950
1980 to 1989: 1,924
1970 to 1979: 1,687
1960 to 1969: 1,116
1950 to 1959: 495
1940 to 1949: 263
1939 or earlier: 342
Note: State values scaled to Rowan population
Rooms in houses/apartments in Rowan County, Kentucky
Note: State values scaled to Rowan County population
no vehicle: 180
1 vehicle: 1,262
2 vehicles: 2,113
3 vehicles: 1,187
4 vehicles: 393
5+ vehicles: 79
no vehicle: 378
1 vehicle: 1,809
2 vehicles: 889
3 vehicles: 157
4 vehicles: 21
5+ vehicles: 0
77% of Rowan County residents lived in the same house 1 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 31% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 75% lived in Kentucky.
Rowan County:
77.1%
State average:
84.3%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 18,212
Other state: 5,336
Northeast: 234
Midwest: 3,300
South: 1,407
West: 403
Year Householders Moved Into Unit
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Rowan County
Click here to upload your Rowan County photos (outside city limits)
31.1 years
38.7 years
(48.3%)
(51.7%)
, Jefferson County 
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