City profile · Kentucky · Census ACS 2023

Henderson, KY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Henderson - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

27,994
Residents
$47,176
Median income
$151,400
Median home
$949
Median rent (state)

Henderson - the verdict

Henderson ranks in the 15th percentile for household income and the 29th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

15th
percentile, household income
27th
percentile, home value
10th
percentile, median rent
29th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Henderson, KY

Kentucky's Henderson is a small city, with 27,994 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $47,176 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.9%. Home values in Henderson run a median of $151,400, and the median resident age is 40.3 years. Educational attainment runs 18.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 53.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 78 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 18% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2134.0 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 57.1°F with 46.0 inches of precipitation per year and 12.4 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Kentucky run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Kentucky at 90.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $949 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Kentucky, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 73.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

27,994 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kentucky

Median Household Income

$47,176 /yr

Poverty 17.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.2 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kentucky average

How does Henderson compare to other US cities?

Where Henderson sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 15% higher than other cities
Home value 27% pricier than other cities
Median rent 10% pricier than other cities
Safety 29% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Kentucky and the picture shifts: Henderson ranks #158 of 181 Kentucky cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Henderson's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Kentucky, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

15thIncome percentile
29thSafety percentile

15th percentile nationally for median household income · 29th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Henderson's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Henderson's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 42 Avg. percentile National median
Henderson's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Henderson's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$151,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 73% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Henderson $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Henderson, KY Henderson, KY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Henderson, KY-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Henderson, KY median $47,176/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Henderson, KY's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Henderson, KY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 18.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
27,994
Median Income
$47,176
Median Home Value
$151,400
Median Age
40.3
Poverty Rate
17.9%
Labor force participation
53.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2134.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
318.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1815.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
57.1°F
Annual Precipitation
46.0"
Annual Snowfall
12.4"

Schools

Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
27,600 residents27,800 residents28,000 residents28,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 28,133 residents 27,822 residents ▼ -1.1%
Henderson's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
78
housing units authorized
Single-Family
58
detached homes
Multifamily
20
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 95
2020 37
2021 32
2022 21
2023 29
2024 78

Permit volume decreased 18% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
78.1%
Carpool
11.6%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
2.3%
Work from Home
5.3%
Other
2.4%

Based on 11,944 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Kentucky - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Kentucky state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Kentucky state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Henderson sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.2
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$949/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
73.2 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kentucky

Frankfort
28,452 people
Jeffersontown
28,988 people
Independence
29,024 people
Paducah
26,894 people
Hopkinsville
31,011 people
Nicholasville
31,625 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Henderson's 27,994 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Maryland Heights, MO
27,981 people
Winchester, VA
27,981 people
Old Bridge, NJ
28,015 people
Tysons, VA
28,022 people
Williston, ND
27,964 people
Clayton, NC
28,043 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Henderson's $47,176 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Fort McKinley, OH
$47,176 median income
Connellsville, PA
$47,176 median income
Llano, TX
$47,183 median income
North DeLand, FL
$47,167 median income
Glenwood, IN
$47,167 median income
Courtland, MS
$47,167 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Henderson, KY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Henderson, KY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 81.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.9% White 81.6% Black or African American 10.3% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 2.0% Two or more races 5.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Henderson compares to nearby Kentucky cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Henderson (this city) 27,994 $47,176
Frankfort 28,452 $54,438
Jeffersontown 28,988 $78,185
Independence 29,024 $98,653
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KY FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Henderson, KY?

What is the population of Henderson, KY? +

The population of Henderson, KY stands at 27,994 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Henderson, KY? +

In Henderson, the typical household earns $47,176 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Henderson? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Henderson; the closest available measure is the Kentucky state average, a cost of living index of 90.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kentucky vary by metro area.

Is Henderson, KY safe? +

Henderson has a total crime rate of 2134.0 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Henderson, KY? +

The median home value in Henderson is $151,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Henderson? +

Climate normals put Henderson's yearly average temperature at 57.1°F, 46.0 inches of precipitation, and 12.4 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.