Kentucky: government, population and official figures

Kentucky is a state of the United States, number 26 of 51 by population. Kentucky had an estimated 4,606,864 residents on 1 July 2025, 1.3% of the population of the 50 states and DC; 26th largest of 51. In the year to 1 July 2025 the population grew by 0.50%, 23rd fastest-growing of 51.

Who runs Kentucky?

The governor is Andy Beshear. Governor's office. Phone: 1-502-564-2611. Address: 700 Capitol Avenue Suite 100 Frankfort , KY 40601.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Kentucky: The economy of Kentucky (gross domestic product) was worth $313.6 billion in 2025 at current prices, 1.0% of the US total of $30.86 trillion; 23rd smallest of 51. In current dollars it was up 5.7% on 2024.
• Health in Kentucky: Life expectancy at birth in Kentucky was 73.6 years in 2022, 3rd shortest among the 50 states and DC (U.S.: 77.5 years), according to NCHS state life tables.
• Education in Kentucky: 90.1% of public high school students in Kentucky graduated within four years of starting ninth grade in the 2021-22 school year (the adjusted cohort graduation rate); joint 4th highest among the 49 states (including DC) with data (U.S.: 86.6%).
• Poverty and living standards in Kentucky: The Census Bureau estimates that 15.4% of people in Kentucky lived below the federal poverty line in 2024, about 688,530 people; 6th highest among the 50 states and DC (U.S.: 12.1%).
• Government budget and revenue in Kentucky: Kentucky's state government took in $48.5 billion in fiscal year 2024, $10,585 per resident, 16th highest of 50 states per person (all states: $9,318 per person). The total includes taxes, federal funds, charges and pension-fund investment income.

Official bodies in Kentucky

• Kentucky
• Department of Agriculture
• Social Services
• Office of Consumer Protection
• Department of Corrections
• Local governments
• Commonwealth's and County Attorneys
• Department of Education
• State Board of Elections
• Emergency Management
• Department of Public Health
• Motor Vehicles
• Office of the Attorney General

Largest cities in Kentucky

1. Louisville/Jefferson County metro government 641,962 (2025)
2. Lexington 329,751 (2025)
3. Bowling Green 78,505 (2025)
4. Owensboro 60,892 (2025)

How states are governed in the United States

States (50). Governor and state legislature directly elected. Hold all powers not given to the federal government (10th Amendment); create and control local governments.

Every tier of government in the United States

Other states of the United States

• California 39,355,309
• Texas 31,709,821
• Florida 23,462,518
• New York 20,002,427
• Pennsylvania 13,059,432
• Illinois 12,719,141
• Ohio 11,900,510
• Georgia 11,302,748
• North Carolina 11,197,968
• Michigan 10,127,884
• New Jersey 9,548,215
• Virginia 8,880,107
• Washington 8,001,020
• Arizona 7,623,818
• Tennessee 7,315,076
• Massachusetts 7,154,084
• Indiana 6,973,333
• Missouri 6,270,541
• Maryland 6,265,347
• Colorado 6,012,561
• Wisconsin 5,972,787
• Minnesota 5,830,405
• South Carolina 5,570,274
• Alabama 5,193,088
• Louisiana 4,618,189
• Oregon 4,273,586
• Oklahoma 4,123,288
• Connecticut 3,688,496
• Utah 3,538,904
• Nevada 3,282,188
• Iowa 3,238,387
• Arkansas 3,114,791
• Kansas 2,977,220
• Mississippi 2,954,160
• New Mexico 2,125,498
• Idaho 2,029,733
• Nebraska 2,018,006
• West Virginia 1,766,147
• Hawaii 1,432,820
• New Hampshire 1,415,342
• Maine 1,414,874
• Montana 1,144,694
• Rhode Island 1,114,521
• Delaware 1,059,952
• South Dakota 935,094
• North Dakota 799,358
• Alaska 737,270
• District of Columbia 693,645
• Vermont 644,663
• Wyoming 588,753

Up a level: the United States · government and power in the United States · cities

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau: 2022 Census of Governments, Table 2: Local Governments by Type and State, 2022 (CG2200ORG02), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7c34fe70ed9b…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: 2022 Census of Governments, Table 1: Government Units by State, Census Years 1942 to 2022 (CG2200ORG01), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 111e6ce487f9…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: Annual Survey of State Government Finances: State Government Finances, U.S. and States, 2012-2024 (table GS00STATEFIN01, amounts in thousands of dollars), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 72ff59b48414…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections: historical database, fiscal years to 2025 (thousands of dollars), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bdf560cd3d8f…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2024 (ACSBR-025), Appendix Table 1: median household income and Gini index by state, 2023 and 2024 American Community Survey, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5de1b0d5ec46…)
• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: SASUMMARY: State annual summary statistics: personal income, GDP, consumer spending, price indexes, and employment (updated 30 September 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a3757d207c05…)
• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: SAGDP: Annual GDP by state, 1997-2025 (table SAGDP2, GDP in current dollars by industry), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d3c5bc7bd24…)
• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: SQGDP: Quarterly GDP by state, 2005-2026 Q2 (table SQGDP11, percent change in real GDP at annual rate), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1649260cdceb…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: Annual population estimates and components of change, states (Vintage 2025, NST-EST2025-ALLDATA), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 92188e29cb0a…)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics: employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, states, monthly, seasonally adjusted, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7bb6f18d4145…)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics: employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population, states, annual averages 1976-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 262aba7d00df…)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state estimates (state_M2025_dl.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 74d5be0e1df8…)
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, all industries (open data CSV slice), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5a5f89142aae…)
• USA.gov (U.S. General Services Administration): USA.gov state government pages (www.usa.gov/states/<state>), saved together as one archive, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5a89dd6d5258…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 219.46: Public high school 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR), by selected student characteristics and state, 2011-12 through 2021-22, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1913b92e5e75…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Educational attainment for the population 25 years and over (B15003), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c933281d2c2…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): Digest of Education Statistics 2024, Table 203.20: Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by state, fall 1990 through fall 2023 (Common Core of Data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8e370b60d62a…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances: summary tables (Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data, fiscal year 2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 848133174f29…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP mathematics grade 4, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 913ed194a3d5…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP mathematics grade 8, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7dc207d5418d…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP reading grade 4, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7da857933d83…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): NAEP reading grade 8, 2019 and 2024: average scale score and achievement-level percentages for public school students by state (NAEP Data Service), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 790de8a24822…)
• National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education): Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 208.40: Public elementary and secondary teachers, enrollment, and pupil/teacher ratios, by state, fall 2000 through fall 2022 (Common Core of Data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c15568f58c4c…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Types of health insurance coverage by age (B27010), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 737090000f71…)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence Data, 2011 to present: selected questions, 2015 and 2023-2025, all adults, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7ab093888a27…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Stats of the States: Cancer mortality by state (National Vital Statistics System via CDC WONDER), map data file, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 16647d000278…)
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: State Medicaid and CHIP Applications, Eligibility Determinations, and Enrollment Data (Performance Indicator data, September 2026 release), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6fc730af4f67…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Stats of the States: Firearm mortality by state (National Vital Statistics System via CDC WONDER), map data file, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 93f4daddcb09…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Stats of the States: Heart disease mortality by state (National Vital Statistics System via CDC WONDER), map data file, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 53ffcd80b442…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Stats of the States: Infant mortality rates by state (National Vital Statistics System via CDC WONDER), map data file, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c8e6ba1c198b…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): U.S. State Life Tables, 2022 (National Vital Statistics Reports Vol. 74, No. 12), Tables A, B and C, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c1373546ce89…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Stats of the States: Drug overdose mortality by state (National Vital Statistics System via CDC WONDER), map data file, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1990aeae39f4…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): Stats of the States: Suicide mortality by state (National Vital Statistics System via CDC WONDER), map data file, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5df6571a02ff…)
• National Center for Health Statistics (CDC): VSRR Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts (12-month ending periods, May and December 2019-2026, selected indicators), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 68a227998fc5…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Gini index of income inequality (B19083), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 dc8a2b21190b…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Receipt of food stamps/SNAP by poverty status for households (B22003), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 53dc663e0426…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Median gross rent (B25064), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8624f9775add…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Gross rent as a percentage of household income (B25070), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 edf1abe1970b…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table-based summary file: Median value of owner-occupied homes (B25077), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27120d5d8a5f…)
• USDA Economic Research Service: Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 (ERR-337), tables 4 and 5: food insecurity by State, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c0eebe273d83…)
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: 2007-2025 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness by State (2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, Part 1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c04ebcbe51c8…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): 2024 poverty and median household income, states and counties, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cb52c47d75c1…)
• U.S. Census Bureau: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): 2019 poverty and median household income, states and counties, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 229d90cb3e05…)
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service: SNAP Monthly State Participation and Benefit Summary, fiscal years 1969 to current (FY24.xlsx and FY25.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d31418fd3b4b…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.