Knox County Demographics

A map of Knox County's Population by Race

Knox County, Kentucky has an estimated population of 29,865, a slight decrease from the 30,193 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 95.0% White, 2.4% Multiracial, 1.3% Hispanic, 1.0% Black, 0.2% Asian, and 0.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Knox County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Knox has become less racially diverse since 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 Knox County, that probability was 10.7% in 2020 and 9.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Knox County is ranked the 36th most populous county in Kentucky, out of 120 counties. Knox County was ranked the 35th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Knox County's White Population

28,380 residents of Knox County, or 95.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Knox County is considerably higher than in Kentucky overall, where 81.5% of the population is White. Knox County ranks 29th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Knox County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Knox County's population has increased from 94.4% to 95.0%.

Knox County is more White than neighboring Bell County (92.6% White), Clay County (91.3% White), Whitley County (94.4% White), Laurel County (94.8% White), and Claiborne County (94% White).

Knox County's Black Population

312 residents of Knox County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Knox County is lower than in Kentucky overall, where 7.6% of the population is Black. Knox County ranks 81st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Knox County's Black population has grown by an estimated 11.0%. Black residents' share of Knox County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Knox County is more Black than neighboring Laurel County (0.6% Black), and Claiborne County (0.6% Black). Knox County is less Black than neighboring Bell County (3% Black), Clay County (3.9% Black), and Whitley County (1.1% Black).

Knox County's Asian Population

57 residents of Knox County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Knox County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Knox County ranks 64th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Knox County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 32.9%. Asian residents' share of Knox County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Knox County is more Asian than neighboring Clay County (0.1% Asian). Knox County is less Asian than neighboring Bell County (0.3% Asian), Whitley County (0.3% Asian), Laurel County (0.3% Asian), and Claiborne County (0.6% Asian).

Knox County's Hispanic Population

389 residents of Knox County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Knox County is slightly lower than in Kentucky overall, where 5% of the population is Hispanic. Knox County ranks 97th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Knox County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 12.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Knox County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Knox County is more Hispanic than neighboring Bell County (0.5% Hispanic). Knox County is less Hispanic than neighboring Clay County (2.1% Hispanic), Whitley County (2.1% Hispanic), Laurel County (1.7% Hispanic), and Claiborne County (1.7% Hispanic).

Knox County's Native American/Other Population

3 residents of Knox County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Knox County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Knox County ranks 76th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Knox County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 97.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Knox County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Knox County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Bell County (0.5% Native American/Other), Clay County (0.2% Native American/Other), Whitley County (0.2% Native American/Other), Laurel County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Claiborne County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Knox County's Multiracial Population

724 residents of Knox County, or 2.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Knox County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Knox County ranks 76th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Knox County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 15.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Knox County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.4%.

Knox County is more Multiracial than neighboring Whitley County (2% Multiracial), and Laurel County (2.3% Multiracial). Knox County is less Multiracial than neighboring Bell County (3.2% Multiracial), Clay County (2.5% Multiracial), and Claiborne County (2.9% 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.