Allen County is a
county located in the
U.S. state of
Kentucky. As of the
2020 census, the population was 20,588.
Its
county seat is
Scottsville.
The county is named for
Colonel John Allen, a state senator and soldier who was killed leading the 1st Regiment of Kentucky Rifleman at the
Battle of Frenchtown,
Michigan during the
War of 1812. Allen County practices the prohibition of alcohol and is a completely
dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Dozens of dry counties exist across the ...
. It was formed in 1815 from parts of
Barren
Barren primarily refers to a state of barrenness (infertility)
Barren may also refer to:
Places
* Barren, Missouri
*Barren County, Kentucky
* Barren Island (Andaman Islands)
*Barren Island, Brooklyn
*Barren River Lake
Other uses
* ''Barren Count ...
and
Warren counties. Allen County is included in the
Bowling Green, KY
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Allen County was established in 1815 from land given by Barren and Warren counties. A courthouse fire in 1902 resulted in the loss of some county records.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.1%) is water.
Adjacent counties
*
Warren County northwest
*
Barren County northeast
*
Monroe County Monroe County may refer to seventeen counties in the United States, all named for James Monroe:
* Monroe County, Alabama
*Monroe County, Arkansas
* Monroe County, Florida
* Monroe County, Georgia
*Monroe County, Illinois
*Monroe County, Indian ...
east
*
Macon County, Tennessee southeast
*
Sumner County, Tennessee southwest
*
Simpson County west
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 17,800 people, 6,910 households, and 5,113 families residing in the county. The
population density was . There were 8,057 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.62%
White, 1.07%
Black or
African American, 0.16%
Native American, 0.12%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.36% from
other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 6,910 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.60% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,238, and the median income for a family was $36,815. Males had a median income of $27,587 versus $22,659 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $14,506. About 13.20% of families and 17.30% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 23.40% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Allen County, like most of Kentucky, is increasingly solidly Republican, although it was like those counties to its east in Appalachia never a part of the "
Solid South". The last Democrat to carry the county in a Presidential election was
Woodrow Wilson in
1912
Events January
* January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established.
* January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens.
* January 6 ...
, although a number of other elections have given Democrat majorities as recently as
the 1999 gubernatorial election.
[Sullivan, Robert David]
"How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century"
''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016
Voter Registration
Statewide Elections
Communities
*
Adolphus
Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and to a lesser extent in vari ...
*
Amos
*
Halifax
*
Halfway
Halfway or Half Way may refer to:
Places Canada
*Halfway, New Brunswick, a community in Durham Parish
* Halfway, Ontario, a community in Madawaska Valley
Ireland
*Halfway, County Cork, a village in the Republic of Ireland
United Kingdom
* Halfwa ...
*
Holland
*
Meador
*
New Roe
*
Petroleum
*
Scottsville
Notable residents
*
Mordecai Ham, an evangelist born in Allen County
*
Jim McDaniels
James Ronald McDaniels (April 2, 1948 – September 6, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. McDaniels played collegiately for Western Kentucky University and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 American Basketball Associat ...
*
Charles Napier (actor)
*
Norro Wilson
Norris Denton "Norro" Wilson (April 4, 1938 – June 8, 2017) was an American country music singer-songwriter, producer, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Wilson wrote or co-wrote numerous hit songs during more than 40 yea ...
*
Cal Turner Sr.
Hurley Calister "Cal" Turner (May 28, 1915 – November 20, 2000) was an American businessman. He was the co-founder of Dollar General alongside his father.
Early life
Cal Turner was born on May 28, 1915, in Macon County, Tennessee. His father, J ...
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Kentucky
References
{{authority control
1815 establishments in Kentucky
Populated places established in 1815
Kentucky counties