FOR RELEASE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

New estimates released by the Census Bureaus American Community Survey program
Thursday reveal changes in Kentucky demographic, economic, and housing conditions.
Household Income, Poverty, and Education
Between 2012 and 2013, Kentucky median household income increased by 2.8%. The 2013
Kentucky median household income is $43,399.
The percentage of Kentuckys population below the poverty level in 2013 was 18.8%. The 2013
poverty rate is not statistically different from the rate in 2012.
Between 2012 and 2013, the percentage of the Kentucky population age 25 years and older with
a Bachelors degree or higher increased from 21.8% to 22.6%. The percentage of the age 25 and
over population with a Bachelors degree or higher has been steadily increasing since 2010.
Computer Ownership and Internet Access
The 2013 American Community Survey is the first to detail computer ownership and internet
access at the local level.
Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Kentucky ranks 45 out of 51 for the percentage of
households with a computer (79.2% of households).
Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Kentucky ranks 42 out of 51 for the percentage of
households with a broadband internet subscription (68.5% of households). 26.2% of Kentucky
households do not maintain any type of internet access.
Among Kentuckys metropolitan areas, Elizabethtown-Fort Knox has the highest percentage of
computer ownership (86.3% of households) and broadband internet subscriptions (76.4% of
households). Figures for Lexington-Fayette are slightly lower, with 86.2% of households
owning one or more computers and 75.0% of households with a broadband internet subscription.
The Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Area, which includes several counties in southern
Indiana, has a computer ownership rate of 82.5% and a broadband penetration rate of 72.2%.
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed to provide
communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data for the
nation, states, counties, and other localities every year. Additional information on the American
Community Survey can be found at http://census.gov/acs.
The Kentucky State Data Center can be reached at 502-852-7990 or http://ksdc.louisville.edu.