Kentucky gained more than 100,000 residents from 2020 to 2025. That’s what recent Census estimates show.
The data also show deaths exceeded births during those five years by more than 18,000.
Migration – mostly international, but also domestic – is what turns that negative into a positive, said Matthew Ruther, director of the Kentucky State Data Center at the University of Louisville.
“International migration has been a big component of our growth in the last, well, forever,” he said, “but in particular over the last couple of decades.”
In Kentucky and nationwide, though, international migration has declined over the past year due to new restrictions in federal immigration policy.
“At the national level, migration is down by more than half, from about 2.7 million to about 1.2 million,” Ruther said, “which is a significant drop. At the state level, it's also down about half, although international migration is still positive.”
Kentucky added 15,700 international residents from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, and 7,200 domestic migrants. For the full five year period, the state gained 81,800 international residents and 35,800 domestic residents.
Only five states experienced an overall population loss from 2024 to 2025, including neighboring West Virginia. South Carolina was the fastest growing state, while Texas added the most residents.
The top states for international migration were Florida, Texas, California and New York.
Ruther said county-level Census estimates will be available in March.
In recent years, Madison, Scott and Warren counties have been Kentucky’s fastest growing. Each has an anchor institution that helps drive the growth, Ruther said.
In Madison and Warren, that’s Eastern Kentucky University and Western Kentucky University. In Scott, it’s Toyota.
Counties in eastern and western Kentucky have lost the most residents. Growth tends to take place, Ruther said, along the I-65, I-64 and I-75 corridors.
