Carlisle County, Kentucky

Not to be confused with Carlisle, Kentucky.

Carlisle County
County
Carlisle County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°51′N88°59′W / 36.85°N 88.98°W / 36.85; -88.98
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1886
Named for	John G. Carlisle
Seat	Bardwell
Largest city	Bardwell
Area
• Total	199 sq mi (520 km2)
• Land	189 sq mi (490 km2)
• Water	9.5 sq mi (25 km2)  4.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,826
• Estimate  (2023)	4,704
• Density	24/sq mi (9.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	carlislecounty.ky.gov

Carlisle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,826, making it the fourth-least populous county in Kentucky. Its county seat is Bardwell. ^[1] The county was founded in 1886 and named for John Griffin Carlisle, a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky. ^[2] It remains a prohibition or dry county. Carlisle County is included in the Paducah, KY-IL, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 199 square miles (520 km²), of which 189 square miles (490 km²) is land and 9.5 square miles (25 km²) (4.8%) is water. ^[3] The county's western border with Missouri is formed by the Mississippi River.

Adjacent counties

• Ballard County (north)
• McCracken County (northeast)
• Graves County (east)
• Hickman County (south)
• Mississippi County, Missouri (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	7,612		—
1900	10,195		33.9%
1910	9,048		−11.3%
1920	8,231		−9.0%
1930	7,363		−10.5%
1940	7,650		3.9%
1950	6,206		−18.9%
1960	5,608		−9.6%
1970	5,354		−4.5%
1980	5,487		2.5%
1990	5,238		−4.5%
2000	5,351		2.2%
2010	5,104		−4.6%
2020	4,826		−5.4%
2023 (est.)	4,704	[4]	−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [5] 1790-1960 [6] 1900-1990 [7] 1990-2000 [8] 2020-2021 [9]

As of the census ^[10] of 2000, there were 5,351 people, 2,208 households, and 1,574 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 per square mile (11/km²). There were 2,490 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5.0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.78% White, 0.95% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,208 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,087, and the median income for a family was $33,433. Males had a median income of $29,523 versus $19,792 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,276. About 10.50% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.40% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Carlisle County, Kentucky ^[11]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,182	83.60%	408	15.63%	20	0.77%
2020	2,159	81.84%	463	17.55%	16	0.61%
2016	2,094	80.51%	432	16.61%	75	2.88%
2012	1,835	70.06%	750	28.64%	34	1.30%
2008	1,699	64.92%	879	33.59%	39	1.49%
2004	1,734	60.95%	1,102	38.73%	9	0.32%
2000	1,405	54.18%	1,149	44.31%	39	1.50%
1996	816	33.62%	1,355	55.83%	256	10.55%
1992	844	33.16%	1,383	54.34%	318	12.50%
1988	1,104	43.06%	1,428	55.69%	32	1.25%
1984	1,308	50.15%	1,277	48.96%	23	0.88%
1980	975	38.31%	1,542	60.59%	28	1.10%
1976	435	17.71%	1,985	80.82%	36	1.47%
1972	1,169	55.75%	872	41.58%	56	2.67%
1968	479	19.65%	1,144	46.92%	815	33.43%
1964	282	15.22%	1,565	84.46%	6	0.32%
1960	978	35.59%	1,770	64.41%	0	0.00%
1956	608	22.72%	2,063	77.09%	5	0.19%
1952	656	25.99%	1,867	73.97%	1	0.04%
1948	279	12.57%	1,899	85.54%	42	1.89%
1944	505	19.67%	2,057	80.10%	6	0.23%
1940	500	17.37%	2,366	82.21%	12	0.42%
1936	420	16.15%	2,150	82.69%	30	1.15%
1932	402	12.36%	2,840	87.30%	11	0.34%
1928	787	28.28%	1,994	71.65%	2	0.07%
1924	467	16.93%	2,250	81.58%	41	1.49%
1920	688	19.99%	2,688	78.09%	66	1.92%
1916	494	22.61%	1,646	75.33%	45	2.06%
1912	331	17.04%	1,409	72.55%	202	10.40%

Communities

Cities

• Arlington
• Bardwell

Unincorporated communities

• Cunningham
• Geveden
• Milburn
• Yellow Dog Road

See also

• United States portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Carlisle County, Kentucky
• List of counties in Kentucky

36°51′N88°59′W / 36.85°N 88.98°W / 36.85; -88.98

References

1. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
2. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp.  34.
3. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
4. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
9. "2020 Census Data". data.census.gov.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 30, 2018.