City · Kentucky
Barlow, Kentucky
Barlow, city, in Ballard County, Kentucky. Barlow had 635 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 653 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 564 (±112). GEOID 2103718.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
635
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 653 · ACS 2020-2024: 564 ±112
Median household income
$27,054
±$7,275 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$68,100
±$15,860 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$538
±$246 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Barlow and what county is it in?
Barlow is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 1,185 residents per square mile in 2020.
Barlow 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 Barlow, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 635 people lived in Barlow on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 653 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 564 (±112).
| Measure | Barlow | Ballard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 564 ±112 | 7,654 | no clear change |
| Households | 267 ±62 | 3,209 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.11 ±0.26 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 329 ±65 | 3,702 | no clear change |
Barlow's population since 2000
From 715 in 2000 to 635 in 2025: down 11.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Barlow 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 Barlow?
The median resident of Barlow is 32.3 years old; 22.5% are under 18 and 14.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 4.4%.
| Measure | Barlow | Ballard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3 ±11.7 | 45.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.5% ±5.9 pts | 19.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 14.7% ±4.9 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Male | 43.6% ±6.9 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 1.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.1% ±6.2 pts | 91.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±5.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.8 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.5% ±1.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.1% ±3.3 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 17.9% ±7.0 pts | 17.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±2.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.5% ±5.7 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.6% ±4.7 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.6% ±5.8 pts | 91.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
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 Barlow earn?
Half of Barlow's 267 households earn less than $27,054 a year (±$7,275), against $66,164 in Ballard County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 the median was $44,613 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $17,559 after inflation. 36.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Barlow | Ballard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,054 ±$7,275 | $66,164 | −$17,559 |
| Mean household income | $38,045 ±$7,229 | $85,057 | – |
| Per capita income | $19,330 ±$4,019 | $35,589 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 36.9% ±10.7 pts | 15.0% | +17.5 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 55.1% ±17.7 pts | 22.2% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 33.7% ±12.3 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 88.8% ±6.8 pts | 95.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.5% ±9.9 pts | 87.6% | – |
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 Barlow?
Owners occupy 47.6% of Barlow's occupied homes and renters 52.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $68,100 by its owner (±$15,860). The median renter pays $538 a month including utilities, and 32.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Barlow | Ballard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $68,100 ±$15,860 | $145,800 | −$20,510 |
| Median gross rent | $538 ±$246 | $817 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 32.5% ±15.6 pts | 24.4% | −36.3 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $694 ±$289 | $1,131 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 47.6% ±11.8 pts | 76.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 52.4% ±11.8 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Housing units | 329 ±65 | 3,702 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±25.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.1% ±5.0 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 52.9% ±9.6 pts | 74.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 16.7% ±7.4 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±10.8 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.2% ±4.6 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.9% ±4.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
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 Barlow work and get to work?
89.2% of Barlow's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.5 minutes.
| Measure | Barlow | Ballard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 43.8% ±9.9 pts | 54.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.5% ±2.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.2% ±8.5 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.7% ±8.5 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±17.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.5% ±2.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.5% ±2.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.5 min ±5.6 | 26.5 min | no clear change |
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 Barlow?
No census tract lies mostly in Barlow; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Ballard County | 1,292 | $47,025 |
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 Barlow) · Census block assignment files
How does Barlow compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Barlow is the 12,240th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 268th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Barlow 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 | 268th | 418 |
Barlow's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Barlow 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 Barlow?
24 of the 57 figures for Barlow 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 Barlow 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 Barlow.