Boone County’s substantial population growth is expected to continue, allowing it to pass Kenton County in population by 2050, according to a recently released report from the Kentucky State Data Center.
The state’s population is expected to increase by 6.2%, the report said, an increase of more than 279,000 people for a total estimated population of over 4.7 million in Kentucky.
Seventy-five of Kentucky’s 120 counties are expected to see a decline in population, however. While Jefferson (Louisville) and Fayette (Lexington) counties are expected to remain the state’s two most populous, there would be some changes among the state’s most populous counties, including in Northern Kentucky.
Kenton County, currently the state’s third-most populous, is expected to be surpassed by Warren County (Bowling Green) and Boone County. Boone is would move up from fourth place to third place while Kenton drops to fifth.
Campbell County, meanwhile, would see its population remain basically flat with a small decline over the next few decades, according to the report. Currently the eighth-most populous county in the state, Campbell’s 2020 population of 93,076 would be 91,848 by 2050, though the report indicates that the county would also see some increases, peaking in 2030, before ultimately declining.
In crafting its report, the State Data Center, based at the University of Louisville, reached its conclusions through an examination of birth and death rates, current population trends, in- and out-migration, fertility rates, and more.
Boone County would see the state’s fourth-largest increase in people, with an population boost 45,765 over the next thirty years, the report said. Its 2020 population of 135,968 would be estimated to rise to 181,733 by 2050, the report said.
Kenton County, home of the state’s fifth-largest city (Covington), would see its population rise nearly 6% by 2050, the report said, going from 169,064 in 2020 to 180,023 in 2050.
Grant County’s population is expected to remain relatively flat over the period while the report estimates that Pendleton Co. will lose population.
See the full report here: