Hancock County, Kentucky

Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,095.^[1] Its county seat is in the city of Hawesville located in the Northern part of the county, and its largest city of Lewisport is located in the Northwestern part of the county.^[2]

Hancock County
County
Hancock County courthouse in Hawesville, KY
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°50′N 86°47′W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1829
Named for	John Hancock
Seat	Hawesville
Largest city	Lewisport
Area
• Total	199 sq mi (520 km2)
• Land	188 sq mi (490 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  5.6%
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,095
• Estimate  (2023)	8,920
• Density	46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.hancockky.us

Hancock County is included in the Owensboro, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Hancock County Board of Education consists of 4 public school systems. Hancock County High School (HCHS), Hancock County Middle School (HCMS), South Hancock Elementary School, & North Hancock Elementary School (NHES). North Hancock Elementary School being the only one located in Lewisport. NHES replaced the previously outdated Lewisport Elementary School with a newly constructed $8,829,532 building.

History

Hancock County was formed in 1829 from portions of Breckinridge, Daviess, and Ohio counties.^[3] The county is named for John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.^[4][5]

The courthouse, the second to serve the county, was built in 1868 and renovated in 1978.^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 199 square miles (520 km²), of which 188 square miles (490 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (5.6%) is water.^[7] The northern border of the county lies along the Ohio River.

Adjacent counties

• Spencer County, Indiana (northwest)
• Perry County, Indiana (northeast)
• Breckinridge County (southeast)
• Ohio County (south)
• Daviess County (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	1,515		—
1840	2,581		70.4%
1850	3,853		49.3%
1860	6,213		61.3%
1870	6,591		6.1%
1880	8,563		29.9%
1890	9,214		7.6%
1900	8,914		−3.3%
1910	8,512		−4.5%
1920	6,945		−18.4%
1930	6,147		−11.5%
1940	6,807		10.7%
1950	6,009		−11.7%
1960	5,330		−11.3%
1970	7,080		32.8%
1980	7,742		9.4%
1990	7,864		1.6%
2000	8,392		6.7%
2010	8,565		2.1%
2020	9,095		6.2%
2023 (est.)	8,920	[8]	−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2021[1]

As of the census^[13] of 2000, there were 8,392 people, 3,215 households, and 2,436 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 per square mile (17/km²). There were 3,600 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.85% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,215 households, out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.40% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.20% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,914, and the median income for a family was $42,994. Males had a median income of $35,294 versus $23,574 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,623. About 11.40% of families and 13.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Incorporated

• Hawesville (county seat)
• Lewisport (largest community)

Unincorporated

• Adair
• Arrington Corner
• Boling Chapel
• Cabot
• Chambers
• Dukes
• Easton
• Floral
• Goering
• Patesville
• Pellville
• Petri
• Roseville
• Reynolds Station (mostly in Ohio County)
• Skillman
• Utility
• Waitman
• Weberstown

Politics

United States presidential election results for Hancock County, Kentucky^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	3,375	72.85%	1,173	25.32%	85	1.83%
2020	3,145	68.56%	1,351	29.45%	91	1.98%
2016	2,788	64.91%	1,244	28.96%	263	6.12%
2012	2,212	53.51%	1,833	44.34%	89	2.15%
2008	1,928	46.53%	2,135	51.52%	81	1.95%
2004	2,286	56.74%	1,709	42.42%	34	0.84%
2000	2,032	56.29%	1,508	41.77%	70	1.94%
1996	1,356	40.61%	1,547	46.33%	436	13.06%
1992	1,261	34.98%	1,714	47.55%	630	17.48%
1988	1,733	53.44%	1,478	45.58%	32	0.99%
1984	1,967	59.59%	1,287	38.99%	47	1.42%
1980	1,367	45.51%	1,530	50.93%	107	3.56%
1976	1,124	40.92%	1,562	56.86%	61	2.22%
1972	1,583	64.61%	791	32.29%	76	3.10%
1968	1,049	44.70%	867	36.94%	431	18.36%
1964	756	34.52%	1,423	64.98%	11	0.50%
1960	1,488	59.38%	1,018	40.62%	0	0.00%
1956	1,317	56.14%	1,022	43.56%	7	0.30%
1952	1,341	53.11%	1,177	46.61%	7	0.28%
1948	985	45.54%	1,146	52.98%	32	1.48%
1944	1,365	54.40%	1,129	45.00%	15	0.60%
1940	1,424	51.52%	1,338	48.41%	2	0.07%
1936	1,087	44.90%	1,317	54.40%	17	0.70%
1932	1,174	41.54%	1,623	57.43%	29	1.03%
1928	1,614	58.33%	1,151	41.60%	2	0.07%
1924	1,332	48.88%	1,323	48.55%	70	2.57%
1920	1,446	50.23%	1,384	48.07%	49	1.70%
1916	918	51.14%	833	46.41%	44	2.45%
1912	268	15.23%	757	43.01%	735	41.76%

The county gave Barack Obama a majority of the votes in 2008, but went back to Republican hands in 2012, and has stayed that way since.

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Rennick, Robert M. (1987). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. p. 129. ISBN 0813126312. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
4. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 35.
5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 148.
6. Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. p. 244. ISBN 9780916489496. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
8. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 2, 2018.

External links

• Hancock Clarion newspaper website
• County website
• Hancock's Chamber of Commerce website Archived August 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

37.84°N 86.78°W / 37.84; -86.78