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Spencer County, Kentucky
Spencer County Courthouse, Taylorsville
Spencer County Courthouse in Taylorsville.
Map of Kentucky highlighting Spencer County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the U.S
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1824
Named for Spier Spencer
Seat Taylorsville
Largest city Taylorsville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

192 sq mi (497 km²)
187 sq mi (484 km²)
5.0 sq mi (13 km²), 2.6
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

19,490
Congressional districts 2nd, 4th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.spencercountyky.gov

Spencer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,490.[1] Its county seat is Taylorsville.[2] The county was founded in 1824[3] and named for Spier Spencer.

Spencer County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY—IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Taylorsville Lake, located primarily within Spencer County, serves as a major economic resource for the area. Spencer was a dry county until 2009 when the county's residents voted to overturn the ban on alcohol sales. From 2000 to 2005, Spencer County ranked 19th out of all U.S. counties in percent growth, with a 33% increase.

History[]

Spencer County was formed in January 1824, by the 32nd Kentucky General Assembly. The land that now makes up Spencer County was taken from Bullitt County, Shelby County, and Nelson County. Spencer County became Kentucky's 77th county. The county was named for Kentucky's Captain Spier Spencer, who fought and died in the Battle of Tippecanoe.[4]

Later that year, in December 1824, Taylorsville was made the county seat. In 1829, the city was incorporated.[5]

During the American Civil War, the courthouse at Taylorsville was burned by Confederate guerrillas in January 1865, but the county's records were saved.[6]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 192 square miles (500 km2), of which 187 square miles (480 km2) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km2) (2.6%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • Kentucky Route 44
  • Kentucky Route 55

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1830 6,812
1840 6,581 −3.4%
1850 6,842 4.0%
1860 6,188 −9.6%
1870 5,956 −3.7%
1880 7,040 18.2%
1890 6,760 −4.0%
1900 7,406 9.6%
1910 7,567 2.2%
1920 7,785 2.9%
1930 6,606 −15.1%
1940 6,757 2.3%
1950 6,157 −8.9%
1960 5,680 −7.7%
1970 5,488 −3.4%
1980 5,929 8.0%
1990 6,801 14.7%
2000 11,766 73.0%
2010 17,061 45.0%
Est. 2021 19,916 [8] 69.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,766 people, 4,251 households, and 3,358 families residing in the county. The population density was 63 per square mile (24 /km2). There were 4,555 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9.3 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.50% White, 1.13% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,251 households, out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.90% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were non-families. 17.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,042, and the median income for a family was $52,038. Males had a median income of $36,638 versus $24,196 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,848. About 7.70% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.90% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

The Spencer County Public Schools comprises six schools: Spencer County High School, Spencer County Middle School, Spencer County Elementary School, Taylorsville Elementary School, Hillview Academy, and Spencer County Preschool.[13]

Communities[]

City[]

Census-designated place[]

Other unincorporated places[]

  • Little Mount
  • Mount Eden
  • Rivals
  • Waterford
  • Yoder

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Spencer County, Kentucky[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 8,737 76.42% 2,530 22.13% 166 1.45%
2016 7,196 75.63% 1,921 20.19% 398 4.18%
2012 5,726 67.92% 2,549 30.23% 156 1.85%
2008 5,378 66.82% 2,519 31.30% 152 1.89%
2004 4,816 70.60% 1,970 28.88% 36 0.53%
2000 3,150 66.01% 1,554 32.56% 68 1.42%
1996 1,614 47.92% 1,404 41.69% 350 10.39%
1992 1,305 41.21% 1,383 43.67% 479 15.12%
1988 1,368 54.61% 1,121 44.75% 16 0.64%
1984 1,456 61.38% 910 38.36% 6 0.25%
1980 935 42.50% 1,216 55.27% 49 2.23%
1976 742 37.42% 1,209 60.97% 32 1.61%
1972 1,120 68.75% 481 29.53% 28 1.72%
1968 733 41.89% 564 32.23% 453 25.89%
1964 525 26.87% 1,422 72.77% 7 0.36%
1960 1,134 51.97% 1,048 48.03% 0 0.00%
1956 896 42.32% 1,214 57.35% 7 0.33%
1952 723 36.02% 1,283 63.93% 1 0.05%
1948 493 26.90% 1,298 70.81% 42 2.29%
1944 646 30.82% 1,443 68.85% 7 0.33%
1940 567 24.65% 1,728 75.13% 5 0.22%
1936 638 27.81% 1,647 71.80% 9 0.39%
1932 736 29.26% 1,773 70.50% 6 0.24%
1928 1,565 62.20% 947 37.64% 4 0.16%
1924 961 41.95% 1,320 57.62% 10 0.44%
1920 1,102 33.88% 2,135 65.63% 16 0.49%
1916 591 31.62% 1,271 68.00% 7 0.37%
1912 271 17.10% 1,052 66.37% 262 16.53%
1908 563 31.97% 1,175 66.72% 23 1.31%
1904 529 33.44% 1,024 64.73% 29 1.83%
1900 582 33.03% 1,174 66.63% 6 0.34%
1896 596 37.23% 969 60.52% 36 2.25%
1892 316 25.44% 848 68.28% 78 6.28%
1888 399 28.02% 998 70.08% 27 1.90%
1884 358 29.01% 870 70.50% 6 0.49%
1880 358 29.59% 850 70.25% 2 0.17%



See also[]

  • Louisville/Jefferson County–Elizabethtown–Bardstown, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Spencer County, Kentucky

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/spencercountykentucky/PST045221. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ E., Kleber, John; Kentucky, University Press of; Policy, Institute for Regional Analysis and Public; Library, Camden-Carroll; University, Morehead State (2000). "The Kentucky Encyclopedia". http://www.kyenc.org/entry/s/SPENC02.html. 
  4. ^ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp. 37. https://books.google.com/books?id=luoxAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA37. 
  5. ^ Spencer County History
  6. ^ KY:Historical Society - Historical Marker Database - Search for Markers
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_21.txt. 
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html. 
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ky190090.txt. 
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  13. ^ "Our Schools". http://www.spencer.kyschools.us/Schools. 
  14. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 38°02′N 85°19′W / 38.03, -85.32


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Spencer County, Kentucky. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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