County profile · Kentucky
Ballard County, KY market data
How Ballard County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 7,594
- −1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 3,209
- Median household income
- $66,164
- Median home value
- $145,800
- Jobs located here
- 2,184
- Market scores
- Not scored
- Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Ballard County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Ballard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Ballard County has an estimated 7,594 people and 3,209 households. Population estimates put the population change in Ballard County from 2020 to 2025 at −1.5%, against +3.1% for the U.S. Median household income in Ballard County is $66,164, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in Ballard County runs highest on vehicle insurance (an index of 143, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on memberships, classes and admissions (63).
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
Ballard County is part of the Paducah metro area. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for auto repair and car care businesses (48% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for restaurants and cafes (57% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Ballard County
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair and car care | 17 | 53.0 | $189K | 70 | 6 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 15 | 46.7 | $744K | 201 | 7 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 13 | 40.5 | $858K | 129 | 4 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 9 | 28.0 | $2.1M | 61 | 5 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 9 | 28.0 | $297K | 139 | Under 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 7 | 21.8 | $459K | 103 | 4 |
| Hair salons | 7 | 21.8 | $381K | 89 | Under 3 |
| Convenience stores | 5 | 15.6 | $3.7M | 47 | Under 3 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 5 | 15.6 | $674K | 442 | Under 3 |
| Gas stations | 5 | 15.6 | $2.1M | 88 | 6 |
| Pet businesses | 5 | 15.6 | $527K | 60 | Under 3 |
| Home repair trades | 4 | 12.5 | $2.1M | 88 | 3 |
| Insurance agencies | 4 | 12.5 | $2.3M | 179 | Under 3 |
| Grocery stores | 3 | 9.3 | $6.2M | 66 | 4 |
| Car washes and detailing | 2 | 6.2 | $1.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Child care and preschools | 2 | 6.2 | $611K | Too few | Under 3 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 2 | 6.2 | $1.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Electricians | 2 | 6.2 | $4.3M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Funeral homes | 2 | 6.2 | $264K | Too few | Under 3 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 2 | 6.2 | $4.3M | Too few | 3 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 2 | 6.2 | $2.2M | Too few | 3 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 2 | 6.2 | $2.2M | Too few | 6 |
| Pizza | 2 | 6.2 | $5.6M | Too few | 3 |
| Spas and skin care | 2 | 6.2 | $1.3M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 1 | 3.1 | $5.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 1 | 3.1 | $5.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 1 | 3.1 | $11.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 1 | 3.1 | $3.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 1 | 3.1 | $2.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Physical therapy | 1 | 3.1 | $3.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Veterinarians | 1 | 3.1 | $2.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Barbershops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Chiropractors | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Dry cleaners | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | 3 |
| Gyms | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Home inspectors | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| House cleaning | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Laundromats | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Nail salons | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Pest control | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | 3 |
| Pet stores | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Property management | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Real estate | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Roofing and gutters | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Tire shops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
Household spending in Ballard County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $3.2M | $1,001 | 105 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $10.5M | $3,258 | 126 |
| Food away from home | $11.2M | $3,477 | 85 |
| Groceries | $18.5M | $5,758 | 91 |
| Personal care products and services | $2.7M | $832 | 83 |
| Child care and other personal services | $1.2M | $381 | 66 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $2M | $621 | 63 |
| Medical and dental services | $3.4M | $1,050 | 82 |
| Pets | $2.6M | $820 | 90 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $5.6M | $1,746 | 85 |
| Vehicle insurance | $9M | $2,807 | 143 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $8.5M | $2,653 | 88 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $4.4M | $1,381 | 98 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $45.6M | $14,203 | 85 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in Ballard County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 7,594−1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 3,209
- Median age
- 43.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 247 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 31
- Median household income
- $66,164
- Average household income
- $85,057
- Median home value
- $145,800
- Jobs located here
- 2,184
- Daytime population
- 6,555Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Ballard County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of Ballard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Nearest counties in Kentucky 8
- Carlisle County, KY4,762 people
- McCracken County, KY67,564 people
- Hickman County, KY4,439 people
- Graves County, KY36,630 people
- Livingston County, KY8,903 people
- Fulton County, KY6,409 people
- Marshall County, KY31,743 people
- Calloway County, KY38,224 people
Questions
How fast is Ballard County, KY growing?
Population estimates put Ballard County at 7,594 people in 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 3,209 households.
How much do households in Ballard County, KY spend?
Households in Ballard County spend about $45.6M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $18.5M on groceries and $11.2M on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in Ballard County spend the most on vehicle insurance (an index of 143, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on memberships, classes and admissions (63).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Ballard County, KY?
The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.
How does Ballard County, KY compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in Ballard County is $66,164 a year, 18% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 1.5% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $145,800, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Ballard County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for auto repair and car care businesses (48% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for restaurants and cafes (57% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Ballard County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Kentucky · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in Ballard County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Ballard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.