Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY Population (2025)
Lexington-Fayette urban county, Kentucky population is 329,751 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #59 nationally and #2 in Kentucky. Cost of living runs 7.1% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $89,011/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
329,751
+2,680 in the last year
Top 1% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 92.9
−7.1% vs US
Lexington-Fayette, KY metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$89,011/yr
+11% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$69,479
−11% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$293,500
−3.3% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,272/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
86°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
98%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
How many people live in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
329,751 people live in Lexington-Fayette urban county as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #59 largest U.S. city.
Source detail
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 2.2% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 322,563 → 2025: 329,751 (+2.2%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
322,563
April 1, 2020
2020
322,620
July 1, 2020
2021
320,450
July 1, 2021
2022
321,332
July 1, 2022
2023
323,414
July 1, 2023
2024
327,071
July 1, 2024
2025
329,751
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 9.2% from 2010 to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Lexington-Fayette urban county is the #59 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #2 in Kentucky.
▸ Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
322,563
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+7,188
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+2.2%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+2,680
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.8%
within V2025 only
Density
1,162
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
283.9
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#59
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#2
of 418 in Kentucky
What is the median household income in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
Median household income is 11% below the U.S. median ($69,479 vs $77,719); 14.9% live in poverty — 2.4 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$69,479
US
Lexington-Fayette urban county: $69,479 — 11% below the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Lexington-Fayette urban county
$69,479
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Lexington-Fayette urban county from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
69,479-10.6% vs US
±1,691
Per capita income
43,790+1.2% vs US
±977
Population in poverty
14.9%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
How much does housing cost in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
Median home value is 3% below the U.S. median ($293,500 vs $303,400); median rent is 14% below ($1,164 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio (4.2×) is roughly in line with the U.S. median (3.9×).
Median home value$293,500
US
Lexington-Fayette urban county: $293,500 — 3% below the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,272/mo
US
Lexington-Fayette urban county: $1,272/mo — 18% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Lexington-Fayette urban county. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
4.2%
Lexington-Fayette urban county (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
175,744
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
12.2%-13.1% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Lexington-Fayette urban county sits in Fayette County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Fayette County
12.7%
$71,046
4.2%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Lexington-Fayette urban county's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
27,200
$1,269 / wk
#2
Accommodation and food services (72)
20,701
$494 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
19,577
$752 / wk
#4
Professional and technical services (54)
13,629
$1,744 / wk
#5
Administrative and waste services (56)
12,515
$821 / wk
What workers earn in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators is the largest tracked occupation in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro (8,650 jobs, median $59,730/yr).
▸ Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
8,650
$59,730
$28.72
Fast Food and Counter Workers
5,500
$27,990
$13.46
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
5,500
$41,910
$20.15
Stockers and Order Fillers
5,430
$37,080
$17.83
Cashiers
5,250
$29,590
$14.23
Customer Service Representatives
5,200
$39,160
$18.83
Waiters and Waitresses
5,020
$34,910
$16.79
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
8,100
$80,440
$38.67
Registered Nurses · benchmark
8,070
$79,040
$38.00
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
7,810
$30,100
$14.47
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
4,460
$56,950
$27.38
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
11.9% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (7.6% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Lexington-Fayette urban county's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
What is the climate like in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
Hottest month: July (86°F avg high). Coldest: January (24°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 50.0 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Lexington-Fayette urban county from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Natural-hazard exposure for Lexington-Fayette urban county from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Fayette County
92.0
Relatively Moderate
Tornado 98.0 Relatively High · Cold Wave 96.9 Relatively High · Winter Weather 96.4 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
15 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 98% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Lexington-Fayette urban county from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
15 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
12
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
97.9%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
97.9%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
164,089
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 847 violent and 7,352 property offenses in the Lexington jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 262.0 per 100,000, below the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Lexington — an FBI jurisdiction population of 323,254, versus the Census place population of 329,751. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
847
262.0
359.1
Property crime
7,352
2,274.4
1,760.1
▸ Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
16
Rape
167
Robbery
257
Aggravated assault
407
Burglary
856
Larceny-theft
5,587
Motor vehicle theft
909
Arson (12-month reporters only)
14
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
270.4
2,715.7
320,983
2023
253.8
2,751.0
319,994
2024
262.0
2,274.4
323,254
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Lexington · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Lexington-Fayette urban county sits at state rank #2 among 418 cities in Kentucky. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Orlando, FL · #58 · 333,888 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Stockton, CA · #60 · 324,597 residents.
Quick travel facts for Lexington-Fayette urban county
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Blue Grass Airport(LEX) ·
8 mi 13 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Sep, Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Lexington-Fayette urban county.
How many people live in Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY?
Lexington-Fayette urban county has 329,751 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #59 largest city in the United States and #2 in Kentucky. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Lexington-Fayette urban county growing or shrinking?
Lexington-Fayette urban county has grown 2.2% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 7,188 residents, including a 0.8% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Lexington-Fayette urban county's population in the 2020 census?
Lexington-Fayette urban county is in Fayette County, Kentucky.
How big is Lexington-Fayette urban county?
Lexington-Fayette urban county covers 283.9 square miles of land, with a population density of about 1,162 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Lexington-Fayette urban county?
$69,479, about 11% below the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
The GEOID for Lexington-Fayette urban county is 2146027. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
