City · Kentucky

Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Elizabethtown, city, in Hardin County, Kentucky. Elizabethtown had 35,448 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 12.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 31,394 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 32,576 (±35). GEOID 2124274.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

35,448

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 31,394 · ACS 2020-2024: 32,576 ±35

Median household income

$60,760

±$3,793 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726

Median home value

$245,900

±$18,285 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600

Median gross rent

$909

±$42 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967

Where is Elizabethtown and what county is it in?

Elizabethtown is a city in Hardin County, Kentucky. It covers 28.0 square miles of land, 1,121 residents per square mile in 2020.

Elizabethtown is in the Elizabethtown, KY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Elizabethtown (marked with a dot) in Hardin County, Kentucky. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Elizabethtown, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 35,448 people lived in Elizabethtown on July 1, 2025, up 12.9% since 2020, faster than Kentucky (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 31,394 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 32,576 (±35).

  • July 2020→2021 +526 (31,934)
  • 2021→2022 −23 (31,911)
  • 2022→2023 +1,128 (33,039)
  • 2023→2024 +1,452 (34,491)
  • 2024→2025 +957 (35,448)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure ElizabethtownHardin CountyKentucky Change since 2015-2019
Total population 32,576 ±35 111,942 4,534,824 +2,956
Households 13,684 ±472 44,622 1,814,469 +1,131
Average household size 2.31 ±0.08 2.44 2.43 no clear change
Housing units 14,788 ±431 48,108 2,023,116 +970

Elizabethtown's population since 2000

From 22,542 in 2000 to 35,448 in 2025: up 57.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Elizabethtown 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.

  • 2000 Census 22,542
  • 2005 (estimate) 24,971
  • 2010 Census 28,531
  • 2015 (estimate) 29,043
  • 2020 Census 31,394
  • 2025 (estimate) 35,448

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 Elizabethtown?

The median resident of Elizabethtown is 35.7 years old; 25.3% are under 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 74.3%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 11.5%. 6.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure ElizabethtownHardin CountyKentucky Change since 2015-2019
Median age 35.7 ±1.1 37.3 39.1 no clear change
Under 18 years 25.3% ±1.8 pts 24.7% 22.6% –
65 years and over 14.9% ±1.2 pts 15.1% 17.3% –
Male 46.9% ±1.4 pts 49.4% 49.5% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.6% ±1.4 pts 6.5% 5.0% no clear change
White alone, not Hispanic 74.3% ±2.3 pts 74.4% 81.5% no clear change
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 11.5% ±1.9 pts 10.7% 7.6% no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic 3.1% ±1.0 pts 2.2% 1.6% no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.1% ±0.1 pts 0.2% 0.1% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±0.1 pts 0.1% 0.1% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 5.4% ±1.2 pts 5.7% 3.9% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.1% ±0.2 pts 0.3% 0.3% –
Born outside the United States 6.2% ±1.1 pts 4.3% 4.7% +2.0 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 7.7% ±1.7 pts 6.8% 6.8% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 13.1% ±1.9 pts 15.3% 6.5% –
With a disability 16.7% ±2.0 pts 17.5% 17.9% –
No health insurance coverage 6.9% ±1.6 pts 5.8% 6.0% no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 94.0% ±1.2 pts 92.4% 88.9% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 28.3% ±2.8 pts 24.8% 27.6% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 11.6% ±1.8 pts 9.8% 11.3% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 80.9% ±2.8 pts 84.6% 87.5% –
Moved from another state in the past year 2.8% ±1.1 pts 3.7% 2.4% –

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 Elizabethtown earn?

Half of Elizabethtown's 13,684 households earn less than $60,760 a year (±$3,793), against $67,647 in Hardin County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $57,540 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 17.0% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure ElizabethtownHardin CountyKentucky Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $60,760 ±$3,793 $67,647 $63,726 no clear change
Mean household income $83,205 ±$6,619 $93,596 $87,807 –
Per capita income $35,019 ±$3,042 $37,638 $35,821 no clear change
People below the poverty line 17.0% ±3.3 pts 13.1% 16.1% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 20.7% ±7.0 pts 14.8% 20.3% no clear change
Households receiving SNAP 11.7% ±2.2 pts 9.8% 13.2% –
Households with a computer 92.9% ±2.3 pts 94.6% 93.6% –
Households with a broadband subscription 87.7% ±2.6 pts 90.1% 88.6% –

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 Elizabethtown?

Owners occupy 49.3% of Elizabethtown's occupied homes and renters 50.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $245,900 by its owner (±$18,285). The median renter pays $909 a month including utilities, and 32.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure ElizabethtownHardin CountyKentucky Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $245,900 ±$18,285 $225,800 $205,600 +$24,375
Median gross rent $909 ±$42 $971 $967 −$66
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 32.5% ±5.8 pts 28.3% 36.6% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,511 ±$138 $1,444 $1,433 –
Owner-occupied homes 49.3% ±3.2 pts 62.6% 68.3% +5.0 pts
Renter-occupied homes 50.7% ±3.2 pts 37.4% 31.7% –
Housing units 14,788 ±431 48,108 2,023,116 +970
Homeowner vacancy rate 2.6% ±2.4 pts 1.2% 0.9% –
Rental vacancy rate 3.3% ±2.3 pts 4.2% 4.6% –
Single-family detached homes 55.4% ±2.9 pts 65.9% 67.5% –
Mobile homes 3.1% ±1.4 pts 8.3% 10.7% –
Built 2020 or later 2.0% ±1.0 pts 1.6% 1.8% –
Built 2010 to 2019 13.5% ±2.4 pts 11.5% 9.1% –
Built 1939 or earlier 5.1% ±1.5 pts 4.8% 9.0% –
Households with no vehicle 12.6% ±2.8 pts 6.6% 6.8% –

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 many new homes is Elizabethtown building?

Builders took permits for 124 new housing units in Elizabethtown in 2025 (98 in single-family houses), 3.5 per 1,000 residents against 3.2 across Kentucky.

  • 2019 81 units
  • 2020 310 units
  • 2021 105 units
  • 2022 752 units
  • 2023 1,187 units
  • 2024 660 units
  • 2025 124 units

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 Elizabethtown work and get to work?

78.1% of Elizabethtown's workers drive alone and 6.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.2%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure ElizabethtownHardin CountyKentucky Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 62.4% ±2.9 pts 63.1% 59.7% –
Unemployment rate 5.2% ±1.8 pts 6.6% 4.9% no clear change
Drove alone to work 78.1% ±3.3 pts 76.7% 76.6% –
Carpooled 11.0% ±2.9 pts 9.4% 9.3% –
Public transportation 0.1% ±0.1 pts 0.2% 0.6% –
Walked 1.0% ±0.7 pts 2.7% 2.0% –
Worked from home 6.5% ±1.5 pts 9.2% 10.2% +3.8 pts
Mean travel time to work 20.0 min ±1.5 22.4 min 24.0 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 Elizabethtown?

6 census tracts lie mostly in Elizabethtown, and 8 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $47,723 (Tract 11) to $68,750 (Tract 15).

Census tracts in Elizabethtown, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (the 12 with the most residents inside it; every tract on the full list)
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Elizabethtown
Tract 12Hardin County5,462 $63,368 $276,600100%
Tract 14.01Hardin County4,477 $64,896 $243,200100%
Tract 14.02Hardin County4,366 $54,660 $162,300100%
Tract 13Hardin County5,500 $54,186 $268,70077%
Tract 11Hardin County4,131 $47,723 $249,70084%
Tract 15Hardin County3,413 $68,750 $253,80093%
Tract 9.04Hardin County6,765 $78,287 $305,60035%
Tract 10.05Hardin County3,392 $79,719 $338,30047%
Tract 16.01Hardin County3,006 $88,988 $252,20048%
Tract 17.01Hardin County5,035 $73,397 $231,20026%
Tract 10.04Hardin County3,554 $75,909 $227,50036%
Tract 10.03Hardin County4,989 $85,885 $247,40010%

Every census tract in Elizabethtown, with its figures

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 Elizabethtown) · Census block assignment files

How does Elizabethtown compare with other places in Kentucky?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Elizabethtown is the 1,162nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 8th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.

Elizabethtown ranks 92nd of 230 places in Kentucky with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Elizabethtown's rank in Kentucky (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate8th418
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)3rd204
Residents per square mile115th232
Median household income92nd230
Per capita income81st232
Median home value56th225
Median gross rent90th217
Poverty rate124th203
Bachelor's degree or higher79th223
Median age174th232
Owner-occupied share185th229
Work from home117th130
Travel time to work158th232

Elizabethtown's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)

Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown?

7 of the 57 figures for Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown.