City · Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, city, in Warren County, Kentucky. Bowling Green had 78,505 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 8.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 72,294 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 75,388 (±62). GEOID 2108902.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
78,505
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 72,294 · ACS 2020-2024: 75,388 ±62
Median household income
$48,873
±$2,044 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$241,900
±$7,765 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$998
±$35 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Bowling Green and what county is it in?
Bowling Green is a city in Warren County, Kentucky. It covers 42.0 square miles of land, 1,722 residents per square mile in 2020.
Bowling Green is in the Bowling Green, KY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 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 Bowling Green, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 78,505 people lived in Bowling Green on July 1, 2025, up 8.6% since 2020, faster than Kentucky (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 72,294 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 75,388 (±62).
| Measure | Bowling Green | Warren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 75,388 ±62 | 140,918 | +7,788 |
| Households | 30,633 ±697 | 55,643 | +5,328 |
| Average household size | 2.28 ±0.05 | 2.43 | −0.10 |
| Housing units | 33,481 ±576 | 59,868 | +5,357 |
Bowling Green's population since 2000
From 49,296 in 2000 to 78,505 in 2025: up 59.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green?
The median resident of Bowling Green is 28.7 years old; 22.7% are under 18 and 11.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 62.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 14.1%. 15.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Bowling Green | Warren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.7 ±0.8 | 33.3 | +1.7 |
| Under 18 years | 22.7% ±0.9 pts | 23.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.4% ±0.7 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Male | 50.3% ±1.0 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.6% ±0.7 pts | 7.1% | +2.8 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 62.1% ±1.2 pts | 73.8% | −8.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 14.1% ±1.0 pts | 9.1% | +1.4 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 7.7% ±0.9 pts | 5.0% | +2.8 pts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.3% ±1.1 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 15.0% ±1.4 pts | 10.4% | +2.2 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 22.1% ±1.5 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.8% ±0.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
| With a disability | 15.6% ±1.2 pts | 14.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.1% ±1.1 pts | 7.9% | +3.0 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 85.4% ±1.7 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.2% ±1.9 pts | 32.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.2% ±1.3 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 72.7% ±2.3 pts | 79.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 5.7% ±1.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
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 Bowling Green earn?
Half of Bowling Green's 30,633 households earn less than $48,873 a year (±$2,044), against $65,794 in Warren County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $51,955 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bowling Green | Warren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,873 ±$2,044 | $65,794 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,555 ±$3,292 | $89,648 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,971 ±$1,356 | $35,497 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.6% ±2.3 pts | 17.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 31.2% ±4.7 pts | 20.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.1% ±1.9 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.4% ±1.0 pts | 96.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.0% ±1.5 pts | 91.4% | – |
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 Bowling Green?
Owners occupy 36.6% of Bowling Green's occupied homes and renters 63.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $241,900 by its owner (±$7,765). The median renter pays $998 a month including utilities, and 43.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Bowling Green | Warren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $241,900 ±$7,765 | $258,000 | +$43,758 |
| Median gross rent | $998 ±$35 | $1,002 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.5% ±3.5 pts | 40.4% | +6.6 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,447 ±$74 | $1,463 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 36.6% ±2.2 pts | 55.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 63.4% ±2.2 pts | 44.4% | – |
| Housing units | 33,481 ±576 | 59,868 | +5,357 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.6% ±2.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 45.3% ±2.1 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.3% ±1.0 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.2% ±0.8 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 17.2% ±2.0 pts | 17.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.5% ±0.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.5% ±1.6 pts | 7.1% | – |
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 many new homes is Bowling Green building?
Builders took permits for 514 new housing units in Bowling Green in 2025 (114 in single-family houses), 6.5 per 1,000 residents against 3.2 across Kentucky.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Bowling Green work and get to work?
71.5% of Bowling Green's workers drive alone and 6.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.9%.
| Measure | Bowling Green | Warren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.8% ±1.8 pts | 66.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% ±1.0 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 71.5% ±2.5 pts | 75.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.7% ±2.3 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 5.6% ±1.3 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.3% ±1.2 pts | 7.6% | +4.5 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.8 min ±1.0 | 20.3 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 Bowling Green?
15 census tracts lie mostly in Bowling Green, and 9 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $27,459 (Tract 103) to $99,189 (Tract 114.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 114.01Warren County | 7,452 | $99,189 |
| Tract 110.02Warren County | 7,859 | $51,765 |
| Tract 109Warren County | 4,592 | $47,317 |
| Tract 106Warren County | 4,438 | $62,895 |
| Tract 104Warren County | 4,381 | $32,202 |
| Tract 110.01Warren County | 4,219 | $40,721 |
| Tract 103Warren County | 3,973 | $27,459 |
| Tract 107.02Warren County | 7,241 | $69,495 |
| Tract 102Warren County | 4,035 | $29,111 |
| Tract 107.01Warren County | 5,295 | $49,480 |
| Tract 108.05Warren County | 4,248 | $65,765 |
| Tract 111Warren County | 9,135 | $78,182 |
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 Bowling Green) · Census block assignment files
How does Bowling Green compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bowling Green is the 480th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 3rd-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Bowling Green ranks 149th of 230 places in Kentucky with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 3rd | 418 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 9th | 204 |
| Residents per square mile | 56th | 232 |
| Median household income | 149th | 230 |
| Per capita income | 122nd | 232 |
| Median home value | 58th | 225 |
| Median gross rent | 68th | 217 |
| Poverty rate | 63rd | 203 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73rd | 223 |
| Median age | 220th | 232 |
| Owner-occupied share | 222nd | 229 |
| Work from home | 118th | 130 |
| Travel time to work | 193rd | 232 |
Bowling Green's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green?
4 of the 57 figures for Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green.