City · Kentucky
Bardwell, Kentucky
Bardwell, city, in Carlisle County, Kentucky. Bardwell had 713 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 714 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 737 (±195). GEOID 2103664.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
713
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 714 · ACS 2020-2024: 737 ±195
Median household income
$47,784
±$15,682 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$74,200
±$27,047 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$683
±$154 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Bardwell and what county is it in?
Bardwell is a city in Carlisle County, Kentucky. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 826 residents per square mile in 2020.
Bardwell is in the Paducah, KY-IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Bardwell, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 713 people lived in Bardwell on July 1, 2025, down 1.7% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 714 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 737 (±195).
| Measure | Bardwell | Carlisle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 737 ±195 | 4,762 | no clear change |
| Households | 245 ±62 | 1,865 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.78 ±0.48 | 2.52 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 276 ±64 | 2,307 | −103 |
Bardwell's population since 2000
From 799 in 2000 to 713 in 2025: down 10.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bardwell as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Bardwell?
The median resident of Bardwell is 38.4 years old; 23.6% are under 18 and 15.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 9.8%.
| Measure | Bardwell | Carlisle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.4 ±7.4 | 43.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.6% ±7.9 pts | 23.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.6% ±4.4 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Male | 43.8% ±7.6 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.8% ±1.9 pts | 3.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.6% ±6.8 pts | 90.0% | −12.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±2.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.8% ±5.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.4% ±5.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 25.8% ±7.0 pts | 16.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.6% ±3.6 pts | 6.1% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.2% ±8.2 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.6% ±7.0 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.0% ±3.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.9% ±5.1 pts | 83.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.5% ±2.1 pts | 4.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Bardwell earn?
Half of Bardwell's 245 households earn less than $47,784 a year (±$15,682), against $62,439 in Carlisle County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $48,715 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bardwell | Carlisle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,784 ±$15,682 | $62,439 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $58,557 ±$13,917 | $82,182 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,273 ±$4,401 | $33,432 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.2% ±12.2 pts | 15.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 38.5% ±27.8 pts | 23.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.7% ±8.7 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.0% ±6.7 pts | 92.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.8% ±11.6 pts | 87.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Bardwell?
Owners occupy 57.6% of Bardwell's occupied homes and renters 42.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $74,200 by its owner (±$27,047). The median renter pays $683 a month including utilities, and 23.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Bardwell | Carlisle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $74,200 ±$27,047 | $120,400 | −$30,901 |
| Median gross rent | $683 ±$154 | $792 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.3% ±14.4 pts | 15.0% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,068 ±$130 | $1,276 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.6% ±12.1 pts | 80.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.4% ±12.1 pts | 19.6% | – |
| Housing units | 276 ±64 | 2,307 | −103 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±22.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±29.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.6% ±10.3 pts | 74.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.4% ±6.4 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.2% ±2.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.8% ±11.4 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.9% ±6.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Bardwell work and get to work?
83.0% of Bardwell's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.8 minutes.
| Measure | Bardwell | Carlisle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 45.6% ±10.1 pts | 57.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±3.1 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.0% ±8.9 pts | 85.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.2% ±8.1 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 2.8% ±3.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.8 min ±7.0 | 26.1 min | +9.2 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Bardwell?
No census tract lies mostly in Bardwell; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602Carlisle County | 1,736 | $60,987 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Bardwell) · Census block assignment files
How does Bardwell compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bardwell is the 11,750th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 256th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Bardwell is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 256th | 418 |
Bardwell's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Bardwell with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Bardwell?
23 of the 57 figures for Bardwell on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Bardwell are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Bardwell.