Allen County, Kentucky

History

Allen County was established in 1815 from land given by Barren and Warren counties. A courthouse fire in 1902 resulted in the loss of some county records.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 352 sqmi, of which 344 sqmi is land and 7.5 sqmi (2.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Warren County northwest
• Barren County northeast
• Monroe County east
• Macon County, Tennessee southeast
• Sumner County, Tennessee southwest
• Simpson County west

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 20,588. The median age was 40.9 years. 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.9% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.8% of the population.

22.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 77.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 8,009 households in the county, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,208 housing units, of which 13.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.2% were owner-occupied and 26.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,800 people, 6,910 households, and 5,113 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 /sqmi. There were 8,057 housing units at an average density of 23 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.62% White, 1.07% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,910 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 23.10% 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 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,238, and the median income for a family was $36,815. Males had a median income of $27,587 versus $22,659 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,506. About 13.20% of families and 17.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.40% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Allen County, like most of Kentucky, is increasingly solidly Republican, although it was like those counties to its east in Appalachia never a part of the "Solid South". The last Democrat to carry the county in a presidential election was Woodrow Wilson in 1912, although a number of other elections have given Democratic majorities as recently as the 1999 gubernatorial election.

Elected officials

Voter registration

Statewide elections

Communities

City

• Scottsville (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Adolphus
• Allen Springs
• Alonzo
• Amos
• Butlersville
• Cedar Springs
• Chapel Hill
• Clare
• Fleet
• Forest Springs
• Gainesville
• Halfway
• Halifax
• Holland
• Maynard
• Meador
• Mount Aerial
• Mount Zion
• New Roe
• Oak Forest
• Petroleum
• Pope
• Red Hill
• Rodemer
• Settle
• Trammel
• Yesse

Notable residents

• Mordecai Ham, an evangelist born in Allen County
• Jim McDaniels
• Charles Napier (actor)
• Norro Wilson
• R. H. Wilson, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Cal Turner Sr.

References

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (1903). "The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1". Kentucky State Historical Society.
4. Parham, Derek. (May 17, 2023). "Prohibition comes to an end in Allen County with wet/dry decision".
5. Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth. (1992). "Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research". Ancestry Publishing.
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024". United States Census Bureau.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
10. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
16. Sullivan, Robert David; [http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century "How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century"]; ''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016
17. . ["Senate Members - County"](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/smembers_county.html). *[[Kentucky General Assembly]]*.
18. . ["House Members - County"](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/hmembers_county.html). *[[Kentucky General Assembly]]*.
19. (July 2024). "Commonwealth of Kentucky - State Board of Elections Voter Registration Statistics Report".