Paducah, KY Demographics

A map of Paducah's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	18,707	18,130	69.7%	66.8%
Black	5,155	5,968	19.2%	22.0%
Multiracial	1,506	1,487	5.6%	5.5%
Hispanic	820	1,047	3.1%	3.9%
Asian	385	273	1.4%	1.0%
Native American/Other	272	232	1.0%	0.9%

Paducah, Kentucky has an estimated population of 26,845, a slight decrease from the 27,137 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 69.7% White, 19.2% Black, 5.6% Multiracial, 3.1% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, and 1.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Paducah, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Paducah has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more 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 Paducah, that probability was 50.1% in 2020 and 47.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Paducah is ranked the 16th most populous place in Kentucky, out of 554 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Paducah was ranked the 17th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Paducah's White Population

18,707 residents of Paducah, or 69.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Paducah is considerably lower than in Kentucky overall, where 81.5% of the population is White. Paducah ranks 526th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 554 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Paducah's White population has grown by an estimated 3.2%. White residents' share of Paducah's population has increased from 66.8% to 69.7%.

Paducah is less White than neighboring Hendron (89.4% White), Massac (80.5% White), Brookport (89.5% White), Farley (87.5% White), and Metropolis (81.6% White).

Paducah's Black Population

5,155 residents of Paducah, or 19.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Paducah is considerably higher than in Kentucky overall, where 7.6% of the population is Black. Paducah ranks 19th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 554 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Paducah's Black population has declined by an estimated 13.6%. Black residents' share of Paducah's population has decreased from 22.0% to 19.2%.

Paducah is more Black than neighboring Hendron (6.4% Black), Massac (10.4% Black), Brookport (5.7% Black), Farley (3.9% Black), and Metropolis (8.2% Black).

Paducah's Asian Population

385 residents of Paducah, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Paducah is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 1.6% of the population is Asian. Paducah ranks 145th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 554 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Paducah's Asian population has grown by an estimated 41.0%. Asian residents' share of Paducah's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.4%.

Paducah is more Asian than neighboring Hendron (0.8% Asian), Massac (0% Asian), Brookport (0% Asian), Farley (0.6% Asian), and Metropolis (0.3% Asian).

Paducah's Hispanic Population

820 residents of Paducah, or 3.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Paducah is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 5% of the population is Hispanic. Paducah ranks 153rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 554 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Paducah's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 21.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Paducah's population has decreased from 3.9% to 3.1%.

Paducah is more Hispanic than neighboring Hendron (1.7% Hispanic), Massac (2.7% Hispanic), and Brookport (0.8% Hispanic). Paducah is less Hispanic than neighboring Farley (5.7% Hispanic), and Metropolis (5.5% Hispanic).

Paducah's Native American/Other Population

272 residents of Paducah, or 1.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Paducah is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Paducah ranks 103rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 554 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Paducah's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 17.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Paducah's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Paducah is more Native American/Other than neighboring Massac (0% Native American/Other), Brookport (0% Native American/Other), Farley (0.3% Native American/Other), and Metropolis (0.7% Native American/Other).

Paducah's Multiracial Population

1,506 residents of Paducah, or 5.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Paducah is comparable to the share in Kentucky overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Paducah ranks 85th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 554 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Paducah's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 1.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Paducah's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.6%.

Paducah is more Multiracial than neighboring Hendron (0.7% Multiracial), Brookport (4% Multiracial), Farley (1.9% Multiracial), and Metropolis (3.6% Multiracial). Paducah is less Multiracial than neighboring Massac (6.3% 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.