Barren County Demographics

A map of Barren County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	39,283	38,804	87.4%	87.2%
Hispanic	1,991	1,889	4.4%	4.2%
Black	1,697	1,697	3.8%	3.8%
Multiracial	1,292	1,554	2.9%	3.5%
Asian	416	255	0.9%	0.6%
Native American/Other	259	286	0.6%	0.6%

Barren County, Kentucky has an estimated population of 44,938, a slight increase from the 44,485 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 87.4% White, 4.4% Hispanic, 3.8% Black, 2.9% Multiracial, 0.9% Asian, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Barren County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Barren is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Kentucky overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Barren County, that probability was 23.5% in 2020 and 23.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Barren County is ranked the 24th most populous county in Kentucky, out of 120 counties. Barren County was ranked the 25th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Barren County's White Population

39,283 residents of Barren County, or 87.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Barren County is higher than in Kentucky overall, where 81.5% of the population is White. Barren County ranks 85th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barren County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.2%. White residents' share of Barren County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 87.4%.

Barren County is less White than neighboring Metcalfe County (93.5% White), Monroe County (91.3% White), Allen County (92.7% White), Hart County (90.2% White), and Edmonson County (91.6% White).

Barren County's Black Population

1,697 residents of Barren County, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Barren County is slightly lower than in Kentucky overall, where 7.6% of the population is Black. Barren County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barren County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Barren County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.8%.

Barren County is more Black than neighboring Metcalfe County (2.5% Black), Monroe County (1.8% Black), Allen County (0.4% Black), Hart County (2.9% Black), and Edmonson County (0.7% Black).

Barren County's Asian Population

416 residents of Barren County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Barren County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Barren County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barren County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 63.1%. Asian residents' share of Barren County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Barren County is more Asian than neighboring Metcalfe County (0% Asian), Monroe County (0% Asian), Allen County (0% Asian), Hart County (0.5% Asian), and Edmonson County (0.6% Asian).

Barren County's Hispanic Population

1,991 residents of Barren County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Barren County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 5% of the population is Hispanic. Barren County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barren County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Barren County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.4%.

Barren County is more Hispanic than neighboring Metcalfe County (2.8% Hispanic), Allen County (2.9% Hispanic), Hart County (2.1% Hispanic), and Edmonson County (1.7% Hispanic). Barren County is less Hispanic than neighboring Monroe County (4.6% Hispanic).

Barren County's Native American/Other Population

259 residents of Barren County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Barren County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Barren County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barren County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 9.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Barren County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Barren County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Metcalfe County (0.1% Native American/Other), Monroe County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Allen County (0.5% Native American/Other). Barren County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Hart County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Edmonson County (1% Native American/Other).

Barren County's Multiracial Population

1,292 residents of Barren County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Barren County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Barren County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Barren County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 16.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Barren County's population has decreased from 3.5% to 2.9%.

Barren County is more Multiracial than neighboring Metcalfe County (1.2% Multiracial), and Monroe County (2.2% Multiracial). Barren County is less Multiracial than neighboring Allen County (3.5% Multiracial), Hart County (3.4% Multiracial), and Edmonson County (4.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.