McCreary County Demographics

A map of McCreary County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	14,975	15,072	88.8%	89.2%
Black	1,027	908	6.1%	5.4%
Multiracial	440	433	2.6%	2.6%
Hispanic	375	365	2.2%	2.2%
Native American/Other	41	78	0.2%	0.5%
Asian	9	32	0.1%	0.2%

McCreary County, Kentucky has an estimated population of 16,867, a less than 1% change from the 16,888 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.8% White, 6.1% Black, 2.6% Multiracial, 2.2% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of McCreary County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

McCreary has become slightly more 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 McCreary County, that probability was 20.0% in 2020 and 20.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

McCreary County is ranked the 68th most populous county in Kentucky, out of 120 counties. McCreary County was ranked the 68th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

McCreary County's White Population

14,975 residents of McCreary County, or 88.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in McCreary County is higher than in Kentucky overall, where 81.5% of the population is White. McCreary County ranks 76th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McCreary County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of McCreary County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 88.8%.

McCreary County is less White than neighboring Scott County (96.4% White), Whitley County (94.4% White), Wayne County (91.4% White), Pulaski County (92.3% White), and Campbell County (95.7% White).

McCreary County's Black Population

1,027 residents of McCreary County, or 6.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in McCreary County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 7.6% of the population is Black. McCreary County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McCreary County's Black population has grown by an estimated 13.1%. Black residents' share of McCreary County's population has increased from 5.4% to 6.1%.

McCreary County is more Black than neighboring Scott County (0.2% Black), Whitley County (1.1% Black), Wayne County (1.2% Black), Pulaski County (0.8% Black), and Campbell County (0.5% Black).

McCreary County's Asian Population

9 residents of McCreary County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in McCreary County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. McCreary County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McCreary County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 71.9%. Asian residents' share of McCreary County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

McCreary County is more Asian than neighboring Wayne County (0% Asian). McCreary County is less Asian than neighboring Scott County (0.3% Asian), Whitley County (0.3% Asian), Pulaski County (0.8% Asian), and Campbell County (0.2% Asian).

McCreary County's Hispanic Population

375 residents of McCreary County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in McCreary County is slightly lower than in Kentucky overall, where 5% of the population is Hispanic. McCreary County ranks 66th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McCreary County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. Hispanic residents' share of McCreary County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.2%.

McCreary County is more Hispanic than neighboring Scott County (0.2% Hispanic), Whitley County (2.1% Hispanic), and Campbell County (1.6% Hispanic). McCreary County is less Hispanic than neighboring Wayne County (4.5% Hispanic), and Pulaski County (3.1% Hispanic).

McCreary County's Native American/Other Population

41 residents of McCreary County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in McCreary County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. McCreary County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McCreary County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 47.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of McCreary County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

McCreary County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Campbell County (0.1% Native American/Other). McCreary County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Scott County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Wayne County (0.3% Native American/Other).

McCreary County's Multiracial Population

440 residents of McCreary County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in McCreary County is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. McCreary County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 120 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, McCreary County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 1.6%. Multiracial residents' share of McCreary County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.6%.

McCreary County is more Multiracial than neighboring Scott County (2.5% Multiracial), Whitley County (2% Multiracial), Wayne County (2.5% Multiracial), and Campbell County (2% Multiracial). McCreary County is less Multiracial than neighboring Pulaski County (2.8% 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.