The
United States Commonwealth of Kentucky currently has 32
statistical areas that have been delineated by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated 8
combined statistical areas, 9
metropolitan statistical areas, and 15
micropolitan statistical areas in Kentucky. As of 2023, the largest of these is the
Louisville-Jefferson County--Elizabethtown, KY-IN CSA, comprising greater
Louisville, Kentucky's largest city.
Background
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico. These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.
The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (commonly referred to as a CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population, "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core". The OMB further divides core-based statistical areas based on population into metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for those with at least 50,000 and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.
The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent core-based statistical areas where the employment interchange rate (% commuting from A to B plus % commuting from B to A) is at least 15%. The primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.
Table
The 32 United States statistical areas and 120 counties of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Combined statistical area
|
2023 population (est.)
|
Core-based statistical area
|
2023 population (est.)
|
County
|
2023 population (est.)
|
Louisville/Jefferson County–-Elizabethtown, KY-IN CSA
|
1,493,133 1,218,646 (KY)
|
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA
|
1,365,557 1,091,070 (KY)
|
Jefferson County, Kentucky
|
772,144
|
Clark County, Indiana
|
125,467
|
Bullitt County, Kentucky
|
84,863
|
Floyd County, Indiana
|
80,809
|
Oldham County, Kentucky
|
70,183
|
Shelby County, Kentucky
|
49,515
|
Nelson County, Kentucky
|
47,730
|
Harrison County, Indiana
|
40,006
|
Meade County, Kentucky
|
30,131
|
Washington County, Indiana
|
28,205
|
Spencer County, Kentucky
|
20,531
|
Henry County, Kentucky
|
15,973
|
Elizabethtown, KY MSA
|
127,576
|
Hardin County, Kentucky
|
112,273
|
LaRue County, Kentucky
|
15,303
|
Lexington-Fayette--Richmond--Frankfort, KY CSA
|
770,951
|
Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA
|
520,045
|
Fayette County, Kentucky
|
320,154
|
Scott County, Kentucky
|
60,168
|
Jessamine County, Kentucky
|
55,017
|
Clark County, Kentucky
|
37,304
|
Woodford County, Kentucky
|
27,268
|
Bourbon County, Kentucky
|
20,134
|
Richmond-Berea, KY μSA
|
126,861
|
Madison County, Kentucky
|
96,735
|
Rockcastle County, Kentucky
|
16,190
|
Estill County, Kentucky
|
13,936
|
Frankfort, KY μSA
|
76,257
|
Franklin County, Kentucky
|
51,644
|
Anderson County, Kentucky
|
24,613
|
Mount Sterling, KY μSA
|
47,788
|
Montgomery County, Kentucky
|
28,527
|
Bath County, Kentucky
|
12,975
|
Menifee County, Kentucky
|
6,286
|
Cincinnati-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA
|
2,313,417 463,166 (KY)
|
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA
|
2,271,479 463,166 (KY)
|
Hamilton County, Ohio
|
827,058
|
Butler County, Ohio
|
393,043
|
Warren County, Ohio
|
252,148
|
Clermont County, Ohio
|
211,972
|
Kenton County, Kentucky
|
171,321
|
Boone County, Kentucky
|
140,496
|
Campbell County, Kentucky
|
93,702
|
Dearborn County, Indiana
|
51,215
|
Brown County, Ohio
|
43,777
|
Grant County, Kentucky
|
25,619
|
Franklin County, Indiana
|
23,096
|
Pendleton County, Kentucky
|
14,810
|
Gallatin County, Kentucky
|
8,792
|
Bracken County, Kentucky
|
8,426
|
Ohio County, Indiana
|
6,004
|
Wilmington, OH μSA
|
41,938
|
Clinton County, Ohio
|
41,938
|
Bowling Green-Glasgow, KY CSA
|
264,525
|
Bowling Green, KY MSA
|
188,840
|
Warren County, Kentucky
|
142,229
|
Allen County, Kentucky
|
21,788
|
Edmonson County, Kentucky
|
12,448
|
Butler County, Kentucky
|
12,375
|
Glasgow, KY μSA
|
55,490
|
Barren County, Kentucky
|
45,008
|
Metcalfe County, Kentucky
|
10,482
|
Franklin, KY μSA
|
20,195
|
Simpson County, Kentucky
|
20,195
|
Middlesborough-Corbin, KY CSA
|
172,880
|
Corbin, KY μSA
|
149,563
|
Laurel County, Kentucky
|
63,296
|
Whitley County, Kentucky
|
36,825
|
Knox County, Kentucky
|
29,794
|
Clay County, Kentucky
|
19,648
|
Middlesborough, KY μSA
|
23,317
|
Bell County, Kentucky
|
23,317
|
Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA
|
643,394 125,413 (KY)
|
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA
|
368,261 125,413 (KY)
|
Cabell County, West Virginia
|
92,082
|
Putnam County, West Virginia
|
56,962
|
Lawrence County, Ohio
|
56,118
|
Boyd County, Kentucky
|
47,826
|
Wayne County, West Virginia
|
37,686
|
Greenup County, Kentucky
|
35,221
|
Carter County, Kentucky
|
26,366
|
Lawrence County, Kentucky
|
16,000
|
Charleston, WV MSA
|
203,164
|
Kanawha County, West Virginia
|
174,805
|
Boone County, West Virginia
|
20,576
|
Clay County, West Virginia
|
7,783
|
Portsmouth, OH μSA
|
71,969
|
Scioto County, Ohio
|
71,969
|
Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL CSA
|
138,728 125,067 (KY)
|
Paducah, KY-IL MSA
|
102,226 88,606 (KY)
|
McCracken County, Kentucky
|
67,428
|
Massac County, Illinois
|
13,661
|
Livingston County, Kentucky
|
8,892
|
Ballard County, Kentucky
|
7,582
|
Carlisle County, Kentucky
|
4,704
|
Mayfield, KY μSA
|
36,461
|
Graves County, Kentucky
|
36,461
|
none
|
Owensboro, KY MSA
|
112,512
|
Daviess County, Kentucky
|
103,458
|
McLean County, Kentucky
|
9,054
|
Pikeville, KY μSA
|
90,396
|
Pike County, Kentucky
|
55,973
|
Floyd County, Kentucky
|
34,423
|
Clarksville, TN-KY MSA
|
340,495 86,401 (KY)
|
Montgomery County, Tennessee
|
239,872
|
Christian County, Kentucky
|
72,032
|
Trigg County, Kentucky
|
14,369
|
Stewart County, Tennessee
|
14,222
|
Somerset, KY μSA
|
66,191
|
Pulaski County, Kentucky
|
66,191
|
Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY CSA
|
327,562 56,845 (KY)
|
Evansville, IN MSA
|
270,717
|
Vanderburgh County, Indiana
|
179,810
|
Warrick County, Indiana
|
65,867
|
Posey County, Indiana
|
25,040
|
Henderson, KY μSA
|
56,845
|
Henderson County, Kentucky
|
44,119
|
Webster County, Kentucky
|
12,726
|
none
|
Danville, KY μSA
|
55,764
|
Boyle County, Kentucky
|
30,988
|
Lincoln County, Kentucky
|
24,776
|
Madisonville, KY μSA
|
44,929
|
Hopkins County, Kentucky
|
44,929
|
Murray, KY μSA
|
38,280
|
Calloway County, Kentucky
|
38,280
|
Campbellsville, KY μSA
|
37,911
|
Taylor County, Kentucky
|
26,443
|
Green County, Kentucky
|
11,468
|
none
|
Marshall County, Kentucky
|
31,744
|
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
|
30,568
|
Logan County, Kentucky
|
28,283
|
Perry County, Kentucky
|
27,133
|
Grayson County, Kentucky
|
26,427
|
Harlan County, Kentucky
|
26,825
|
Rowan County, Kentucky
|
24,409
|
Ohio County, Kentucky
|
23,626
|
Mercer County, Kentucky
|
23,097
|
Johnson County, Kentucky
|
22,116
|
Breckinridge County, Kentucky
|
21,124
|
Letcher County, Kentucky
|
20,423
|
Marion County, Kentucky
|
19,834
|
Hart County, Kentucky
|
19,724
|
Wayne County, Kentucky
|
19,580
|
Harrison County, Kentucky
|
19,415
|
Adair County, Kentucky
|
19,264
|
Russell County, Kentucky
|
18,279
|
Garrard County, Kentucky
|
17,829
|
McCreary County, Kentucky
|
17,050
|
Mason County, Kentucky
|
16,841
|
Casey County, Kentucky
|
15,918
|
Fleming County, Kentucky
|
15,442
|
Morgan County, Kentucky
|
14,283
|
Knott County, Kentucky
|
13,659
|
Union County, Kentucky
|
13,106
|
Jackson County, Kentucky
|
13,104
|
Lewis County, Kentucky
|
12,973
|
Powell County, Kentucky
|
12,972
|
Breathitt County, Kentucky
|
12,953
|
Caldwell County, Kentucky
|
12,551
|
Todd County, Kentucky
|
12,494
|
Washington County, Kentucky
|
12,267
|
Owen County, Kentucky
|
11,313
|
Monroe County, Kentucky
|
11,306
|
Magoffin County, Kentucky
|
11,228
|
Carroll County, Kentucky
|
10,987
|
Martin County, Kentucky
|
10,928
|
Leslie County, Kentucky
|
9,864
|
Lyon County, Kentucky
|
9,187
|
Clinton County, Kentucky
|
9,148
|
Crittenden County, Kentucky
|
8,974
|
Hancock County, Kentucky
|
8,920
|
Trimble County, Kentucky
|
8,607
|
Nicholas County, Kentucky
|
7,686
|
Lee County, Kentucky
|
7,293
|
Elliott County, Kentucky
|
7,245
|
Fulton County, Kentucky
|
6,338
|
Wolfe County, Kentucky
|
6,282
|
Cumberland County, Kentucky
|
6,000
|
Hickman County, Kentucky
|
4,447
|
Owsley County, Kentucky
|
4,001
|
Robertson County, Kentucky
|
2,313
|
Commonwealth of Kentucky
|
4,526,154
|
Primary statistical areas
Primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area. Of the 32 statistical areas of Kentucky, 16 are PSAs comprising eight combined statistical areas, two metropolitan statistical areas and six micropolitan statistical areas.
The 16 primary statistical areas of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
2020 rank
|
Primary statistical area
|
Population
|
2023 estimate
|
Change
|
2020 Census
|
Change
|
2010 Census
|
1
|
Louisville/Jefferson County--Elizabethtown, KY-IN CSA (KY)
|
1,218,646 |
+0.03% |
1,218,336 |
+6.68% |
1,142,057
|
2
|
Lexington-Fayette--Richmond--Frankfort, KY CSA
|
770,951 |
+1.16% |
762,082 |
+10.77% |
687,962
|
3
|
Cincinnati-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA (KY)
|
463,166 |
+1.84% |
454,783 |
+6.89% |
425,483
|
4
|
Bowling Green-Glasgow-Franklin, KY CSA
|
264,525 |
+4.14% |
254,004 |
+11.31% |
228,198
|
5
|
Middlesborough-Corbin, KY CSA
|
172,880 |
−0.62% |
173,960 |
−1.60% |
176,790
|
6
|
Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA (KY)
|
125,413 |
−1.36% |
127,143 |
−2.22% |
130,032
|
7
|
Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL CSA (KY)
|
125,067 |
−0.71% |
125,966 |
+0.32% |
125,558
|
8
|
Owensboro, KY MSA
|
112,512 |
+0.04% |
112,464 |
+5.91% |
106,187
|
9
|
Pikeville, KY μSA
|
90,396 |
−4.46% |
94,611 |
−9.44% |
104,475
|
10
|
Clarksville, TN-KY MSA (KY)
|
86,401 |
−0.58% |
86,909 |
−1.57% |
88,294
|
11
|
Somerset, KY μSA
|
66,191 |
+1.78% |
65,034 |
+3.08% |
63,093
|
12
|
Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY CSA (KY)
|
56,845 |
−1.67% |
57,810 |
−3.44% |
59,871
|
13
|
Danville, KY μSA
|
55,764 |
+1.59% |
54,889 |
+3.23% |
53,174
|
14
|
Madisonville, KY μSA
|
44,929 |
−1.09% |
45,423 |
−3.19% |
46,920
|
15
|
Campbellsville, KY μSA
|
37,911 |
+2.10% |
37,130 |
+3.80% |
35,770
|
16
|
Murray, KY μSA
|
38,280 |
+3.17% |
37,103 |
−0.24% |
37,191
|
|
Louisville/Jefferson County--Elizabethtown, KY-IN CSA
|
1,493,133 |
+0.36% |
1,487,749 |
+6.69% |
1,394,493
|
|
Cincinnati-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA
|
2,313,417 |
+0.94% |
2,291,815 |
+5.51% |
2,172,191
|
|
Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY CSA
|
643,394 |
−2.63% |
660,768 |
−4.70% |
693,345
|
|
Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL CSA
|
138,728 |
−1.00% |
140,135 |
−0.60% |
140,987
|
|
Evansville-Henderson, IN-KY CSA
|
327,562 |
+0.15% |
327,066 |
+0.58% |
325,173
|
See also