Spencer County vs. Kentucky
Comparative Trends Analysis:
Population Growth and Change, 1969-2022
Introduction
Spencer County vs. Kentucky
Spencer County:
2022 Population = 20,204
2022 Percent of State = 0.45%
Kentucky:
2022 Population = 4,512,310
2022 Percent of U.S. = 1.35%
Attracting and retaining people to live, work, raise a family, and retire underlies the economic vitality of any region. Population growth is both a cause--and a consequence--of economic growth. Patterns of population growth and change reflect differences among regions to attract and retain people both as producers and consumers in their economy.
The following graphs offer a broad overview of trends in the pattern of population growth and change of Spencer County with comparisons to Kentucky and the nation at large. This analysis features alternative approaches toward discussing, diagnosing and comparing Spencer County vs. Kentucky's population growth over 1969-2022. The data used are those compiled by the Regional Income and Product Divisions of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 tracks Spencer County's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Spencer County's population rose from 5,503 in 1969 to 20,204 in 2022, for a net gain of 14,701, or 267.15%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population, 1969-2022
Population, 1969-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 tracks Kentucky's annual population for the period 1969-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 54-year period, Kentucky's population rose from 3,198,000 in 1969 to 4,512,310 in 2022, for a net gain of 1,314,310, or 41.10%.
NOTE: The county and state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Population as a Percent of the Kentucky Total: 1969-2022
Population as a Percent of the Kentucky Total: 1969-2022
Figure 3.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the population growth of Spencer County is to compare its individual percentage contributions to Kentucky's statewide population over time, as shown in Figure 3. A rising share means a region's population grew faster, or declined less, than Kentucky's population, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1969, Spencer County's population totaled 0.17% of Kentucky's population, while in 2022 it equated to 0.45% thereby yielding a +0.28% share-shift.
   
 
Population Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1969
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1969
+0.28%
=
0.45%
-
0.17%
 
   
Spencer County Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Spencer County Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1970-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 highlights the short-run pattern of Spencer County's population growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 53-year period is also illustrated on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Spencer County's population grew at an annual rate of 2.51% over 1970-2022. The county posted its highest growth in 1999 (8.62%) and posted its lowest growth in 1980 (-2.50%). In 2022, Spencer County's population grew by 1.55%
Spencer County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Spencer County Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1970-2022
Figure 5.
Over the past five decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 5 again shows the annual percent change in Spencer County's population since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1970s, Spencer County's annual population growth rate averaged 1.01%. It averaged 0.99% in the 1980s, 5.13% during the 1990s, 4.43% during the 2000s, 1.29% in the 2010s, 1.56% thus far this decade (2020-2022).

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Spencer County:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
5,503
100.0
N
0.17
1970
 
5,488
99.7
-0.27
0.17
1971
 
5,574
101.3
1.57
0.17
1972
 
5,510
100.1
-1.15
0.17
1973
 
5,590
101.6
1.45
0.17
1974
 
5,762
104.7
3.08
0.17
1975
 
5,898
107.2
2.36
0.17
1976
 
5,923
107.6
0.42
0.17
1977
 
5,952
108.2
0.49
0.17
1978
 
6,080
110.5
2.15
0.17
1979
 
6,083
110.5
0.05
0.17
1980
 
5,931
107.8
-2.50
0.16
1981
 
5,923
107.6
-0.13
0.16
1982
 
5,808
105.5
-1.94
0.16
1983
 
5,906
107.3
1.69
0.16
1984
 
5,923
107.6
0.29
0.16
1985
 
6,050
109.9
2.14
0.16
1986
 
6,150
111.8
1.65
0.17
1987
 
6,263
113.8
1.84
0.17
1988
 
6,357
115.5
1.50
0.17
1989
 
6,695
121.7
5.32
0.18
1990
 
6,857
124.6
2.42
0.19
1991
 
6,997
127.1
2.04
0.19
1992
 
7,128
129.5
1.87
0.19
1993
 
7,377
134.1
3.49
0.19
1994
 
7,817
142.0
5.96
0.20
1995
 
8,429
153.2
7.83
0.22
1996
 
8,974
163.1
6.47
0.23
1997
 
9,564
173.8
6.57
0.24
1998
 
10,143
184.3
6.05
0.25
1999
 
11,017
200.2
8.62
0.27
2000
 
11,911
216.4
8.11
0.29
2001
 
12,559
228.2
5.44
0.31
2002
 
13,219
240.2
5.26
0.32
2003
 
13,892
252.4
5.09
0.34
2004
 
14,358
260.9
3.35
0.35
2005
 
14,929
271.3
3.98
0.36
2006
 
15,638
284.2
4.75
0.37
2007
 
16,346
297.0
4.53
0.38
2008
 
16,845
306.1
3.05
0.39
2009
 
16,971
308.4
0.75
0.39
2010
 
17,167
312.0
1.15
0.39
2011
 
17,433
316.8
1.55
0.40
2012
 
17,483
317.7
0.29
0.40
2013
 
17,640
320.6
0.90
0.40
2014
 
17,776
323.0
0.77
0.40
2015
 
18,036
327.7
1.46
0.41
2016
 
18,290
332.4
1.41
0.41
2017
 
18,574
337.5
1.55
0.41
2018
 
18,949
344.3
2.02
0.42
2019
 
19,290
350.5
1.80
0.43
2020
 
19,510
354.5
1.14
0.43
2021
 
19,895
361.5
1.97
0.44
2022
 
20,204
367.1
1.55
0.45
Source: Calculations by the Kentucky Regional Economic Analysis Project (KY-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Kentucky:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
3,198,000
100.0
N
1.59
1970
 
3,230,587
101.0
1.02
1.59
1971
 
3,298,262
103.1
2.09
1.59
1972
 
3,336,106
104.3
1.15
1.59
1973
 
3,371,573
105.4
1.06
1.60
1974
 
3,417,039
106.8
1.35
1.60
1975
 
3,468,755
108.5
1.51
1.61
1976
 
3,530,443
110.4
1.78
1.62
1977
 
3,575,001
111.8
1.26
1.63
1978
 
3,611,382
112.9
1.02
1.63
1979
 
3,643,655
113.9
0.89
1.62
1980
 
3,664,221
114.6
0.56
1.61
1981
 
3,670,395
114.8
0.17
1.60
1982
 
3,683,449
115.2
0.36
1.59
1983
 
3,694,469
115.5
0.30
1.58
1984
 
3,695,459
115.6
0.03
1.57
1985
 
3,694,816
115.5
-0.02
1.55
1986
 
3,687,805
115.3
-0.19
1.54
1987
 
3,683,330
115.2
-0.12
1.52
1988
 
3,680,002
115.1
-0.09
1.51
1989
 
3,677,318
115.0
-0.07
1.49
1990
 
3,694,048
115.5
0.45
1.48
1991
 
3,722,328
116.4
0.77
1.47
1992
 
3,765,469
117.7
1.16
1.47
1993
 
3,812,206
119.2
1.24
1.47
1994
 
3,849,088
120.4
0.97
1.46
1995
 
3,887,427
121.6
1.00
1.46
1996
 
3,919,535
122.6
0.83
1.45
1997
 
3,952,747
123.6
0.85
1.45
1998
 
3,985,390
124.6
0.83
1.44
1999
 
4,018,053
125.6
0.82
1.44
2000
 
4,049,021
126.6
0.77
1.43
2001
 
4,068,132
127.2
0.47
1.43
2002
 
4,089,875
127.9
0.53
1.42
2003
 
4,117,170
128.7
0.67
1.42
2004
 
4,146,101
129.6
0.70
1.42
2005
 
4,182,742
130.8
0.88
1.42
2006
 
4,219,239
131.9
0.87
1.41
2007
 
4,256,672
133.1
0.89
1.41
2008
 
4,289,878
134.1
0.78
1.41
2009
 
4,317,074
135.0
0.63
1.41
2010
 
4,349,138
136.0
0.74
1.41
2011
 
4,374,212
136.8
0.58
1.40
2012
 
4,394,010
137.4
0.45
1.40
2013
 
4,415,821
138.1
0.50
1.39
2014
 
4,428,679
138.5
0.29
1.39
2015
 
4,443,606
138.9
0.34
1.38
2016
 
4,457,599
139.4
0.31
1.37
2017
 
4,475,723
140.0
0.41
1.37
2018
 
4,487,233
140.3
0.26
1.37
2019
 
4,498,141
140.7
0.24
1.36
2020
 
4,507,445
140.9
0.21
1.36
2021
 
4,506,589
140.9
-0.02
1.36
2022
 
4,512,310
141.1
0.13
1.35
Source: Calculations by the Kentucky Regional Economic Analysis Project (KY-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PSN
 
   

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Population, 1969-2022
 
1969
 
201,298,000
100.0
N
1970
 
203,798,722
101.2
1.24
1971
 
206,817,509
102.7
1.48
1972
 
209,274,882
104.0
1.19
1973
 
211,349,205
105.0
0.99
1974
 
213,333,635
106.0
0.94
1975
 
215,456,585
107.0
1.00
1976
 
217,553,859
108.1
0.97
1977
 
219,760,875
109.2
1.01
1978
 
222,098,244
110.3
1.06
1979
 
224,568,579
111.6
1.11
1980
 
227,224,719
112.9
1.18
1981
 
229,465,744
114.0
0.99
1982
 
231,664,432
115.1
0.96
1983
 
233,792,014
116.1
0.92
1984
 
235,824,907
117.2
0.87
1985
 
237,923,734
118.2
0.89
1986
 
240,132,831
119.3
0.93
1987
 
242,288,936
120.4
0.90
1988
 
244,499,004
121.5
0.91
1989
 
246,819,222
122.6
0.95
1990
 
249,622,814
124.0
1.14
1991
 
252,980,941
125.7
1.35
1992
 
256,514,224
127.4
1.40
1993
 
259,918,588
129.1
1.33
1994
 
263,125,821
130.7
1.23
1995
 
266,278,393
132.3
1.20
1996
 
269,394,284
133.8
1.17
1997
 
272,646,925
135.4
1.21
1998
 
275,854,104
137.0
1.18
1999
 
279,040,168
138.6
1.15
2000
 
282,162,411
140.2
1.12
2001
 
284,968,955
141.6
0.99
2002
 
287,625,193
142.9
0.93
2003
 
290,107,933
144.1
0.86
2004
 
292,805,298
145.5
0.93
2005
 
295,516,599
146.8
0.93
2006
 
298,379,912
148.2
0.97
2007
 
301,231,207
149.6
0.96
2008
 
304,093,966
151.1
0.95
2009
 
306,771,529
152.4
0.88
2010
 
309,378,433
153.7
0.85
2011
 
311,841,632
154.9
0.80
2012
 
314,344,331
156.2
0.80
2013
 
316,735,375
157.3
0.76
2014
 
319,270,047
158.6
0.80
2015
 
321,829,327
159.9
0.80
2016
 
324,367,742
161.1
0.79
2017
 
326,623,063
162.3
0.70
2018
 
328,542,157
163.2
0.59
2019
 
330,233,102
164.1
0.51
2020
 
331,511,512
164.7
0.39
2021
 
332,031,554
164.9
0.16
2022
 
333,287,557
165.6
0.38
Source: Calculations by the Kentucky Regional Economic Analysis Project (KY-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_CA1400_100_PN
 
   
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