Kenton County, Kentucky


Kenton County is a county located in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 169,064, making it the third most populous county in Kentucky. Its county seats are Covington and Independence. It was, until November 24, 2010, the only county in Kentucky to have two legally recognized county seats. The county was formed in 1840 and is named for Simon Kenton, a frontiersman notable in the early history of the state.
Kenton County, with Boone and Campbell Counties, is part of the Northern Kentucky metro area, and is included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Kenton County was established on January 29, 1840, from land given by Campbell County. It was named in honor of Simon Kenton, a pioneer of Kentucky.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county is located at the confluence of the Licking River and Ohio River, in the outer Bluegrass area of the Bluegrass region of the state. The elevation in the county ranges from above sea level.

Adjacent counties

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 169,064. The median age was 37.5 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 85.2% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.2% from some other race, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.6% of the population.
93.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 67,612 households in the county, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 72,585 housing units, of which 6.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.2% were owner-occupied and 33.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 151,464 people, 59,444 households, and 39,470 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 63,571 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 93.99% White, 3.84% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 59,444 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.60% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% 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 3.11.
The age distribution was 26.30% under 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,906, and the median income for a family was $52,953. Males had a median income of $37,845 versus $27,253 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,085. About 7.10% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Kenton County has five school districts providing education, from the extremely rural southern areas to the highly urbanized north. The districts are:
The Catholic educational system is as extensive as the public system. These schools are operated by the Diocese of Covington's Department of Schools. The Diocese runs 17 schools in Kenton County.

Higher education

is the only institute of higher learning wholly in the county itself. Northern Kentucky University had a Covington campus located at 1401 Dixie Highway until it closed at the end of 2008. NKU's main campus is not far from Kenton County – only about 4 miles from the Licking River. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System also operates the Gateway Community and Technical College. Classes are provided at GCTC locations in Boone County, Covington, Park Hills and Edgewood.

Libraries

Kenton County is served by a county library with branches in Covington, Erlanger, and Independence. The Erlanger Branch has grown to be the busiest branch library in the state of Kentucky.
In 2008, Kenton County Public Library received the highest score of any Kentucky library ranked by Hennen's American Public Library Ratings.

Communities

Cities

Visalia and Latonia Lakes have been dissolved as cities within Kenton County.

Politics

The county is governed by a Judge/Executive and a Fiscal Court, which together oversee the county's operations and policies. The Judge/Executive serves as the chief executive and administrative officer, responsible for implementing policies, managing county services, and overseeing the budget. The Fiscal Court, composed of three county commissioners, functions as the legislative body, working alongside the Judge/Executive to pass ordinances, approve budgets, and make key decisions affecting the county. This structure ensures a balance of executive and legislative authority, guiding Kenton County's development and public services.
The current Judge/Executive is Kris Knochelmann, while the three county commissioners are Beth Sewell, Jon Draud and Joe Nienaber Jr..
The county voted "No" on 2022 Kentucky Amendment 2, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 55% to 45%, and backed Donald Trump with 59% of the vote to Joe Biden's 39% in the 2020 presidential election.

Elected officials