Simpson County, Kentucky

Simpson County
County
Old Simpson County Courthouse in Franklin
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°44′N86°35′W / 36.74°N 86.58°W / 36.74; -86.58
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1819
Named for	John Simpson
Seat	Franklin
Largest city	Franklin
Government
• County Judge Executive Magistrates	Mason Barnes Marty Chandler Jeffrey Burr Scott Poston Myron Thurman
Area
• Total	236 sq mi (610 km2)
• Land	234 sq mi (610 km2)
• Water	2.3 sq mi (6 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	19,594
• Estimate  (2023)	20,195
• Density	83/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	simpsoncountyky.gov

Simpson County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,594. ^[1] Its county seat is Franklin. ^[2]

History

Simpson County was established in 1819 from Allen, Logan, and Warren Counties. ^[3] The county is named for Captain John Simpson, a Kentucky militia officer who fought in Battle of Fallen Timbers in the Northwest Indian War, and was killed during the War of 1812 in the Battle of River Raisin. ^[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 236 square miles (610 km²), of which 234 square miles (610 km²) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) (1.0%) is water. ^[5] The county is located in the Pennyroyal Plateau region of the state.

Adjacent counties

• Warren County (north)
• Allen County (east)
• Sumner County, Tennessee (southeast)
• Robertson County, Tennessee (southwest)
• Logan County (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	4,852		—
1830	5,815		19.8%
1840	6,537		12.4%
1850	7,733		18.3%
1860	8,146		5.3%
1870	9,573		17.5%
1880	10,641		11.2%
1890	10,878		2.2%
1900	11,624		6.9%
1910	11,460		−1.4%
1920	11,150		−2.7%
1930	11,336		1.7%
1940	11,752		3.7%
1950	11,678		−0.6%
1960	11,548		−1.1%
1970	13,054		13.0%
1980	14,673		12.4%
1990	15,145		3.2%
2000	16,405		8.3%
2010	17,327		5.6%
2020	19,594		13.1%
2023 (est.)	20,195	[6]	3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790-1960 [8] 1900-1990 [9] 1990-2000 [10] 2010-2020 [1]

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,405 people, 6,415 households, and 4,638 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 per square mile (27/km²). There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.84% White, 10.22% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 6,415 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,432, and the median income for a family was $42,525. Males had a median income of $32,160 versus $22,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,150. About 8.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 15.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Franklin (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Gold City
• Middleton
• Neosheo
• Prices Mill
• Providence
• Salmons

Politics

In contrast to the Western Coalfield and the eastern part of the Pennyroyal Plateau, Simpson County was not highly pro-Union during the Civil War. ^[11] Consequently, Simpson was as reliably Democratic as the Jackson Purchase and Bluegrass during the following century: no Republican carried Simpson County until Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide. As with all of rural Kentucky, the social liberalism of the Democratic Party – rejected by many southern whites ^[12] – has led to an increase in registered Republicans, and many people registered as Democrats vote for Republican candidates, especially at the national level. In 2014, of a population of 17,800, there were 12,700 registered voters in Simpson County: 8,040 (63%) were Democrats, 3,587 (28%) were Republican, and 1073 (9%) were unaffiliated or registered with another party. ^[13]

United States presidential election results for Simpson County, Kentucky ^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,253	71.25%	2,403	27.38%	120	1.37%
2020	5,888	67.43%	2,681	30.70%	163	1.87%
2016	5,077	67.41%	2,144	28.47%	310	4.12%
2012	4,355	61.40%	2,650	37.36%	88	1.24%
2008	4,437	60.71%	2,775	37.97%	97	1.33%
2004	4,273	60.67%	2,730	38.76%	40	0.57%
2000	3,169	54.41%	2,583	44.35%	72	1.24%
1996	2,186	40.80%	2,749	51.31%	423	7.89%
1992	2,280	39.04%	2,834	48.53%	726	12.43%
1988	2,699	55.55%	2,138	44.00%	22	0.45%
1984	3,073	58.69%	2,140	40.87%	23	0.44%
1980	2,020	41.92%	2,713	56.30%	86	1.78%
1976	1,481	34.45%	2,782	64.71%	36	0.84%
1972	2,285	62.57%	1,325	36.28%	42	1.15%
1968	1,435	33.07%	1,505	34.69%	1,399	32.24%
1964	967	23.33%	3,168	76.45%	9	0.22%
1960	1,927	42.18%	2,642	57.82%	0	0.00%
1956	1,454	33.43%	2,879	66.18%	17	0.39%
1952	1,310	32.43%	2,724	67.43%	6	0.15%
1948	762	20.46%	2,752	73.90%	210	5.64%
1944	1,012	26.29%	2,821	73.27%	17	0.44%
1940	987	25.02%	2,950	74.78%	8	0.20%
1936	1,240	28.97%	3,027	70.72%	13	0.30%
1932	1,203	24.92%	3,603	74.64%	21	0.44%
1928	1,635	39.64%	2,490	60.36%	0	0.00%
1924	1,294	32.08%	2,688	66.63%	52	1.29%
1920	1,680	34.24%	3,206	65.34%	21	0.43%
1916	955	33.41%	1,887	66.03%	16	0.56%
1912	547	20.96%	1,639	62.80%	424	16.25%

See also

• United States portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Simpson County, Kentucky

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, Kentucky
4. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp.  37.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
10. "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 20, 2014.
11. Copeland, James E.; ‘Where Were the Kentucky Unionists and Secessionists’; The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, volume 71, no. 4 (October 1973), pp. 344-363
12. Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, New York Times , April 24, 2014
13. KY VOTER REGISTRATION STATISTICS REPORT
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 6, 2018.

Sources

• Simpson County, Kentucky, KyGenWeb.
• Simpson County, Kentucky, Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer.

36°44′N86°35′W / 36.74°N 86.58°W / 36.74; -86.58