Franklin County, Kentucky

Last updated

Franklin County
County
Franklin county ky courthouse.jpg
Franklin County courthouse in Frankfort
Flag of Franklin County, Kentucky.svg
Flag
Map of Kentucky highlighting Franklin County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky in United States.svg
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°14′N84°53′W / 38.24°N 84.88°W / 38.24; -84.88
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Kentucky.svg  Kentucky
FoundedMay 10, 1795 [1]
Named for Benjamin Franklin
Seat Frankfort
Largest cityFrankfort
Area
 • Total
212 sq mi (550 km2)
 • Land208 sq mi (540 km2)
 • Water4.3 sq mi (11 km2)  2.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
51,541
 • Estimate 
(2023)
51,644 Increase2.svg
 • Density240/sq mi (94/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 1st
Website franklincounty.ky.gov

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,541, making it the second-least populous capital county in the United States after Hughes County, South Dakota. [2] Its county seat is Frankfort, [3] the state capital. The county was formed in 1795 from parts of Woodford, Mercer and Shelby counties, and was named after the American inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin. [4] Franklin County is part of the Frankfort, Kentucky Micropolitan Statistical Area. It shares a name with Franklin County in Ohio, where Columbus is located. This makes it one of two pairs of capital cities in counties of the same name, along with Marion Counties in Oregon and Indiana.

Contents

History

The three original counties of Kentucky (Jefferson, Fayette and Lincoln counties) intersected in what is today Franklin County. Franklin County was established in 1795 from land given by Mercer, Shelby, and Woodford counties. [5] Franklin was the 18th Kentucky county in order of formation. [6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 212 square miles (550 km2), of which 208 square miles (540 km2) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) (2.0%) is water. [7]

Transit

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Government and politics

In recent presidential elections the county has supported both Democrats and Republicans. In 2000 Democrat Al Gore won 50% of the vote to Republican George W. Bush's 47%. In 2004, Bush won 50% of the vote to Democrat John Kerry's 48%. In 2008 Republican John McCain defeated Democrat Barack Obama 49.47% to 48.87%, a difference of only 144 votes, only for Obama to narrowly edge out Mitt Romney in 2012. However, Donald Trump won the county in 2016. He won it again in 2020, but only by a slim margin of 248 votes. In 2023, incumbent-Democratic governor Andy Beshear won it by a large margin over Republican attorney general Daniel Cameron, getting 68% of the vote.

The county voted "No" on 2022 Kentucky Amendment 2, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 67% to 33%, and backed Donald Trump with 49.5% of the vote to Joe Biden's 48.5% in the 2020 presidential election. [8]

United States presidential election results for Franklin County, Kentucky [9]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 13,24651.41%11,99646.56%5212.02%
2020 12,90049.48%12,65248.53%5201.99%
2016 11,81949.52%10,71744.91%1,3295.57%
2012 11,34548.61%11,53549.43%4571.96%
2008 11,91149.47%11,76748.87%4011.67%
2004 12,28150.89%11,62048.15%2320.96%
2000 10,20947.15%10,85350.12%5922.73%
1996 7,13235.02%11,25155.24%1,9849.74%
1992 7,59136.09%9,89647.05%3,54416.85%
1988 9,80550.88%9,27148.11%1951.01%
1984 11,05758.12%7,79040.95%1770.93%
1980 6,45534.84%11,19360.40%8824.76%
1976 5,53633.67%10,47563.71%4302.62%
1972 7,78156.88%5,60140.95%2972.17%
1968 4,05730.82%6,39648.58%2,71220.60%
1964 2,32018.57%10,13081.08%440.35%
1960 4,74240.21%7,05259.79%00.00%
1956 4,04738.35%6,41260.76%940.89%
1952 3,09729.75%7,30970.20%50.05%
1948 1,96221.79%6,67974.19%3624.02%
1944 2,05024.27%6,35675.24%420.50%
1940 1,92721.66%6,95678.18%140.16%
1936 2,01024.34%6,22275.35%260.31%
1932 2,03424.20%6,33175.33%390.46%
1928 3,48547.45%3,85352.46%70.10%
1924 2,82637.15%4,67861.50%1021.34%
1920 2,71031.48%5,87868.28%210.24%
1916 1,42629.70%3,34569.67%300.62%
1912 78317.85%2,98067.93%62414.22%

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1800 5,078—
1810 8,01357.8%
1820 11,02437.6%
1830 9,254−16.1%
1840 9,4201.8%
1850 12,46232.3%
1860 12,6941.9%
1870 15,30020.5%
1880 18,69922.2%
1890 21,26713.7%
1900 20,852−2.0%
1910 21,1351.4%
1920 19,357−8.4%
1930 21,0648.8%
1940 23,30810.7%
1950 25,93311.3%
1960 29,42113.5%
1970 34,48117.2%
1980 41,83021.3%
1990 43,7814.7%
2000 47,6878.9%
2010 49,2853.4%
2020 51,5414.6%
2023 (est.)51,644 [10] 0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]
1790-1960 [12] 1900-1990 [13]
1990-2000 [14] 2010-2020 [2]

As of the census [15] of 2000, there were 47,687 people, 19,907 households, and 12,840 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 per square mile (88/km2). There were 21,409 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile (39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.98% White, 9.36% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 19,907 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 30.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86.

22.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,011, and the median income for a family was $51,052. Males had a median income of $32,826 versus $26,201 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,229. About 6.90% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 12.20% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The county is served by two public school districts: Franklin County Public Schools and Frankfort Independent Schools. [16]

Franklin County Public Schools

This district takes in almost all of the county, including the majority of the city of Frankfort. It operates the following schools:

Frankfort Independent Schools

This district serves an area roughly covering the Frankfort neighborhoods known as "downtown", South Frankfort (the vicinity of the state capitol building), and Bellepoint. It operates two schools:

Private schools

University

Parks

Communities

City

Unincorporated communities

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Kentucky: County – Franklin – Welcome". Franklincounty.ky.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp.  https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_luoxAQAAMAAJ/page/n35 35].
  5. ↑ Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. p. 232. ISBN   9780916489496 . Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ Collins, Lewis (1882). Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2. Collins & Company. p. 26.
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ "November 8, 2022 - Official 2022 General Election Results" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  9. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  14. ↑ "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 14, 2014.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  16. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Franklin County, KY" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2022. - Text list - For more detailed boundaries of the independent school districts see: "Appendix B: Maps Of Independent School Districts In Operation In FY 2014-FY 2015 Using 2005 Tax District Boundaries – Frankfort ISD" (PDF). Research Report No. 415 – Kentucky's Independent School Districts: A Primer. Frankfort, KY: Office of Education Accountability, Legislative Research Commission. September 15, 2015. p. 110 (PDF p. 124/174). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 10, 2020.

38°14′N84°53′W / 38.24°N 84.88°W / 38.24; -84.88

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