The area of Kentucky was originally part of Virginia within the original United States. Virginia ceded the district of Kentucky to the United States in 1792, and this area was included briefly in the Southwest Territory ("territory . . . south of the Ohio River"). Upon resolution of a boundary dispute with Tennessee in 1820, Kentucky assumed generally the same boundary as the present state.

Kentucky is one of four states that are legally described as a commonwealth. Although it was still part of Virginia, census data for Kentucky are available separately beginning with the 1790 census. The population shown for Kentucky in the 1790-1820 censuses is based on the present state boundary, not the territory claimed by Kentucky from Tennessee along its southern boundary. The population of the entire legally established state of Virginia (of which the area of Kentucky was a part) in 1790 was 821,287.

Data for the legally established state of Kentucky are available beginning with the 1800 census, minus claimed territory.

Key Stats

From Census.gov > Data:

Related Information

Data Tools and Apps - Find information using interactive applications (including the four highlighted below) to get statistics from multiple surveys.

Data Tool: My Community Explorer (NEW!) - This tool combines select demographic, business, and resilience data to help users identify potentially underserved areas of their state, county, and community.

Data Tool: My Congressional District - Access selected statistics about your Congressional district collected through the American Community Survey (ACS) and County Business Patterns (CBP).

Data Tool: My Tribal Area - Access selected statistics collected for the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population from the American Community Survey (ACS).

Data Tool: QuickFacts - QuickFacts provides frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national, state, county, and city level.

QuickFacts: United States; Kentucky; Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky; Louisville city, Kentucky; Lexington-Fayette urban county, Kentucky; Frankfort city (state capital), Kentucky (Dashboard for Kentucky is shown below)

Note: The dashboard above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full dashboard.

More Stats

From data.census.gov:

Related Information

Profile, Kentucky

Note: The profile above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full profile.

Source: Selected Monthly State Tax Collections.

Related Information

Census Interactive Gallery: Monthly Comparisons for Selected State Sales Tax Collections, click on Kentucky and Select Tax Type

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (Annual Estimates of the Resident Population).

Related Information

County Population by Characteristics: 2010-2020

Kentucky Counties: 2010 to 2020 [<1.0 MB]

City and Town Population Totals: 2010-2020

Kentucky Incorporated Places: 2010 to 2020 [<1.0 MB]

Source: 2020 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM).

Table AM1831BASIC01, Annual Survey of Manufactures: Summary Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries in the U.S.: 2018 – 2020, showing manufacturing in Kentucky

Source: 2020 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Table CB2000CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2020, showing all 2-digit NAICS Codes for Kentucky

Source: 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates.

Table DP05, ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates, United States & Kentucky

Source: 2019 Annual Business Survey (ABS).

Table AB1900CSA01, Annual Business Survey: Statistics for Employer Firms by Industry, Sex, Ethnicity, Race, and Veteran Status for the U.S., States, and Metro Areas: 2019, showing Kentucky

Source: 2018 Nonemployer Statistics (NES).

Table NS1800NONEMP, All Sectors: Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form of Organization and Receipts Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2018, showing all 2-digit NAICS Codes for Kentucky

Source: Business Formation Statistics (BFS).

Interactive visualization: Annual Business Applications by State and County (Scroll down, then hover and click on Kentucky.)

Interactive visualizations: Business Formation Statistics (BFS), U.S. Total and By State (Select Kentucky on Monthly Business Applications by State – shown below - and on Monthly Business Formations by State)

Note: Click on the image above to go to the Business Formation Statistics data page. For the Kentucky graphic, scroll down to “Interactive Visualizations.” Click on the icon for “Monthly Business Applications by State (BA)” and select “Kentucky” in the upper-right drop-down area.

From Census Business Builder: Regional Analyst Edition (Release 4.2):

Region: Kentucky

Local Business Profile, All Sectors - Kentucky

From Foreign Trade > U.S. International Trade Data:

State and Metropolitan Area Trade Data

USA Trade Online, the Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, you can choose between State Export Data (Origin of Movement) or State Import Data (State of Destination) by Harmonized System (HS) or NAICS. More information is available in the Quick Start Guide.

Source: Monthly State Retail Sales.

Interactive visualization: Monthly State Retail Sales (Hover and click on Kentucky.)

From the State Data Center (SDC) Program:

Kentucky

From the Library > America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers:

STATE PROFILES: 2020 Census (State-by-State Visualizations of Key Demographic Trends From the 2020 Census)

STATE PROFILES: Kentucky: 2020 Census

From the Statistics in Schools (SIS) program:

State Facts for Students, select Kentucky

Note: The Kentucky page is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image above to go to the “State Facts for Students” main page. Then, use the drop down to select “Kentucky” or click “KY” on the map for the full page for Kentucky.

From Census.gov > History: