Hancock County, Kentucky


Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,095. Its county seat is in the city of Hawesville located in the Northern part of the county, and its largest city of Lewisport is located in the Northwestern part of the county.
Hancock County is included in the Owensboro metropolitan area.
The Hancock County Board of Education consists of 4 public school systems. Hancock County High School, Hancock County Middle School, South Hancock Elementary School, & North Hancock Elementary School. North Hancock Elementary School being the only one located in Lewisport. NHES replaced the previously outdated Lewisport Elementary School with a newly constructed $8,829,532 building.
WWW hancockky.us

History

Hancock County was formed in 1829 from portions of Breckinridge, Daviess, and Ohio counties. The county is named for John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The courthouse, the second to serve the county, was built in 1868 and renovated in 1978.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The northern border of the county lies along the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 9,095. The median age was 41.5 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.1 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 94.8% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.
8.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 91.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,531 households in the county, of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,894 housing units, of which 9.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.4% were owner-occupied and 22.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,392 people, 3,215 households, and 2,436 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 3,600 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.85% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,215 households, out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.40% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.20% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,914, and the median income for a family was $42,994. Males had a median income of $35,294 versus $23,574 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,623. About 11.40% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Incorporated

Unincorporated

Politics

Unlike most fellow Southern counties, Hancock County has been a swing county for most of its history. No party had won the county more than three times in a row, but the county has swung sharply to the right in the 21st century. The county gave Barack Obama a majority of the votes in 2008, but went back to Republican hands in 2012, and has continued to swing further right since, with Donald Trump becoming the first candidate in history to gain over 70% of the vote in 2024. Hancock County is still relatively swingy socially, having voted in favor of abortion and legalizing medical marijuana. Like most counties in Kentucky, Hancock County is much more competitive at the local level due to Kentucky's high number of conservative Democrats and Kentucky's previously Democratic history.