McCracken County, Kentucky


McCracken County is a county located in the far west portion of U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,875. The county seat and only municipality is Paducah. McCracken County was the 78th county formed in the state, having been created in 1825. It is part of the historic Jackson Purchase, territory sold by the Chickasaw people to General Andrew Jackson and Governor Isaac Shelby; this territory was located at the extreme western end of Kentucky.
Paducah developed based on its "River and Rail" traffic. Steamboats, barges, and the Illinois Central Railroad were the basis of the economy into the late 20th century. In the 1920s, the Illinois Central built the largest operating, and maintenance base in the world here.
McCracken County is the central county of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
WWW mccrackencounty.org

History

McCracken County was founded in 1825 from Hickman County; it was named for Captain Virgil McCracken of Woodford County, Kentucky, who was killed in the Battle of Frenchtown in southeastern Michigan during the War of 1812.
The Battle of Paducah occurred during the American Civil War in McCracken County on March 25, 1864. The skirmish between the Union and Confederate troops ended in a Confederate victory. A total of 140 men were killed during the battle.
In addition to having an economy influenced by river traffic, the county's economy was strengthened by construction of the railroad to Paducah. The railroads based operations and maintenance in Paducah, and the men in many families had careers as firemen, repairment, and related jobs.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county's northern border with Illinois is formed by the Ohio River, and its northeastern border by the Tennessee River.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 67,875. The median age was 42.3 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 80.0% White, 11.2% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.
73.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 26.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 28,932 households in the county, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 32,040 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.6% were owner-occupied and 36.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 65,514 people, 27,736 households, and 18,444 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 30,361 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 86.76% White, 10.88% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.
There were 27,736 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.50% were non-families. 29.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,865, and the median income for a family was $42,513. Males had a median income of $36,417 versus $22,704 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,533. About 11.40% of families and 15.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public elementary and secondary education in the county is provided by two school districts:
Several private schools also provide K-12 education. These institutions include the St. Mary System and Community Christian Academy.
Higher education is provided by West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Like all other schools in this system, WKCTC offers associate degrees. The state's largest public university, the University of Kentucky, operates a branch campus of its College of Engineering at WKCTC. Murray State University offers bachelor's degree programs and master's degrees. A new 43,000 square foot facility located on a 23-acre campus adjacent to WKCTC was opened in 2014.

Communities

City

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities