City profile · Kentucky · Census ACS 2023

Owenton, KY

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

1,600
Residents
$52,121
Median income
$124,300
Median home
$995
Median rent (state)

Owenton - the verdict

Nationally, Owenton sits in the 23rd percentile for household income and the 97th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

23rd
percentile, household income
19th
percentile, home value
19th
percentile, median rent
97th
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: Owenton, KY

1,600 people live in Owenton, Kentucky - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Owenton brings in $52,121 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.2%. Owenton's housing stock carries a median value of $124,300, and the median resident age is 43.0 years. About 11.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 50.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. Owenton reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 120.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Kentucky run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Kentucky scores 90.2 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $995 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Kentucky, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Owenton workers runs 30.2 minutes, with 80.7% driving alone and 4.7% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 15.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

1,600 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kentucky

Median Household Income

$52,121 /yr

Poverty 7.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.2 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kentucky average

How does Owenton compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 23% higher than other cities
Home value 19% pricier than other cities
Median rent 19% pricier than other cities
Safety 97% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Kentucky, Owenton ranks #16 of 181 Kentucky cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison 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 Owenton'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.

23rdIncome percentile
97thSafety percentile

23rd percentile nationally for median household income · 97th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Owenton's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Owenton'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 67 Avg. percentile National median
Owenton'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 Owenton's home value compares nationally

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

$124,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 81% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. Owenton $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 - Owenton, KY Owenton, KY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Owenton, 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 Owenton, KY median $52,121/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%
Owenton, 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 Owenton, KY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.1%

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

Population
1,600
Median Income
$52,121
Median Home Value
$124,300
Median Age
43.0
Poverty Rate
7.2%
Labor force participation
50.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
120.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
60.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
60.1
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.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,650 residents1,660 residents1,670 residents1,680 residents1,690 residents1,700 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,684 residents 1,690 residents ▲ +0.4%
Owenton's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 0
2021 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2021.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
30.2 minutes
Drive Alone
80.7%
Carpool
10.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.8%
Work from Home
4.7%

Based on 636 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 Owenton sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.2
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$995/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
15.2 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kentucky

Breckinridge Center
1,592 people
West Buechel
1,624 people
Ledbetter
1,630 people
Jenkins
1,569 people
Taylorsville
1,566 people
South Shore
1,561 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Owenton's 1,600 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Delavan, IL
1,600 people
Fisher, IL
1,600 people
Ina, IL
1,600 people
Dravosburg, PA
1,600 people
Richford, VT
1,600 people
Ragland, AL
1,601 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Owenton's $52,121 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Brushton, NY
$52,120 median income
Salt Creek, CO
$52,123 median income
Fulton, NY
$52,123 median income
Colonial Beach, VA
$52,119 median income
Blanco, NM
$52,125 median income
Allardt, TN
$52,125 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Owenton, 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 Owenton, KY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 97.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.2% White 97.9% Black or African American 0.7% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 1.2% 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 Owenton 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
Owenton (this city) 1,600 $52,121
Breckinridge Center 1,592 $62,269
West Buechel 1,624 $47,066
Ledbetter 1,630 $62,798
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KY FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Owenton, KY?

What is the population of Owenton, KY? +

The population of Owenton, KY stands at 1,600 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Owenton is $52,121 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Owenton? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Owenton; 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 Owenton, KY safe? +

Owenton has a total crime rate of 120.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below 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 Owenton, KY? +

A typical home in Owenton is worth $124,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.