Meade County, KY

This county of 30,819 residents needs 825 more housing units over the next five years. Meade County is part of the Radcliff-Elizabethtown MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
30,819 (2026)
Households
11,230
Median household income
$80,468 (2026)
Typical home value
$292,395
Owner-occupied
67%
Five-year housing need
825 units

Comparison to other Kentucky counties

Meade County: $80,468 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$24K >$104K
Meade County: 0.53 jobs to household ratio
<0.28 >1.61
Meade County: Permits since 2021 represent 5.3% of housing
<0% >11%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

The typical home in Meade County, KY is valued at $292,395, well above the Kentucky average of $202,900. Meade County, KY's median household income of $80,468 puts the typical home within reach for most households.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Meade County, KY has a population of roughly 30,158 that has been largely stable in recent years.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Meade County, KY has roughly 11,230 households and a population that has been largely stable in recent years.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In Meade County, KY, detached single-family accounts for 67% of the housing stock. Homeownership is the norm in Meade County, KY, with 67% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Meade County, KY needs 825 new units over the next 5 years.

481
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
4.3%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 11,230 in 2026 to 11,711 in 2031.
344
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
142
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 2.3 per 1,000 units.
93
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.4%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
109
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 4.0%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
825
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
165
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
6.7%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
1.3%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

How do these communities compare to each other?