Rowan County, Kentucky

Rowan County
Rowan County
County
	Rowan County Arts Center (formerly Rowan County Courthouse) in Morehead
	Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
	Kentucky's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 38°11′N 83°25′W / 38.19°N 83.42°W
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1856
Named for	John Rowan
Seat	Morehead
Largest city	Morehead
Area
• Total	286 sq mi (740 km2)
• Land	280 sq mi (700 km2)
• Water	6.5 sq mi (17 km2) 2.3%
Population (2020)
• Total	24,662
• Estimate (2023)	24,409
• Density	86/sq mi (33/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.moreheadrowan.org; /rowancounty

Rowan County (/raʊn/, /ˈroʊ.ɪn/) is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky, in the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,662.^[1] Its county seat is Morehead.^[2]

The county was created in 1856 from parts of Fleming and Morgan counties, and named after John Rowan, who represented Kentucky in the House of Representatives and the Senate.^[3]

With regard to the sale of alcohol, it is classified as a moist county in which alcohol sales are prohibited, but unlike a dry county, it contains a "wet" city, Morehead, where packaged alcohol sales are allowed.^[4]

History

It is believed that Rowan County was first explored by those of European descent in 1773 by a party of surveyors from Pennsylvania. The first settlement was established in Farmers, a town 10 miles west of Morehead. Its population rapidly increased due its fertile farming land and proximity to water sources. Additional settlers came to Rowan County from Virginia in the late 18th century after being awarded land grants at the end of the American Revolutionary War. Clearfield was the second settlement established in the county, being colonized by a Virginia aristocrat named Dixon Clack in the early 1800s. It accommodated the first sawmill in the county.^[5]

In 1854, Morehead became the third community to be settled in the area. Colonel John Hargis founded the city after purchasing land in the county, naming it after governor James Morehead.^[6] Rowan County came into existence in May 1856, seceding from Morgan County and Fleming County. It was divided into four districts with Morehead being declared the county seat.^[7] In 1896, a tax was levied on Morehead, sourcing it with the revenue needed to construct hard surface roads. The road system was extended to Farmers by 1920.^[5] In 1961 Rowan county senior high school was built

In summer 2015, Rowan County attracted national attention when County Clerk Kim Davis refused, on grounds of religion, to follow a court order requiring her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.^[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km²), of which 280 square miles (730 km²) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km²) (2.3%) is water.^[9] Its highest point is "Limestone Knob" at about 1,409 feet (429 m) above mean sea level.

Adjacent counties

Lewis County (north)
Carter County (northeast)
Elliott County (east)
Morgan County (south)
Menifee County (southwest)
Bath County (west)
Fleming County (northwest)

National protected area

Daniel Boone National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	2,282		—
1870	2,991		31.1%
1880	4,420		47.8%
1890	6,129		38.7%
1900	8,277		35.0%
1910	9,438		14.0%
1920	9,467		0.3%
1930	10,893		15.1%
1940	12,734		16.9%
1950	12,708		−0.2%
1960	12,808		0.8%
1970	17,010		32.8%
1980	19,049		12.0%
1990	20,353		6.8%
2000	22,094		8.6%
2010	23,333		5.6%
2020	24,662		5.7%
2023 (est.)	24,409	^[10]	−1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census^[11] 1790–1960^[12] 1900–1990^[13] 1990–2000^[14] 2010–2020^[1]

As of the census of 2010, there were 23,333 people and 7,956 households residing in the county. The population density was 83.4 per square mile (32.2/km²). There were 10,102 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial make-up was 96.1% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, and 1.0% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,956 households, of which 19.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91.

The age distribution was 20.30% under the age of 18, 23.50% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. Both the unusually large portion of the population in the 18-to-24 range and the relatively low median age are mainly because of the presence of Morehead State University. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median household income was $33,081. Males had a median income of $26,777 and females $20,104. The per capita income was $13,888. About 15.90% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.80% of those under age 18 and 16.20% of those age 65 or over.

In 2014, the county had 14,263 registered voters.^[15] Of these, 9,394 were Democrats, 3,929 were Republicans, and 626 listed themselves as members of other parties.^[15]

Politics

Rowan County is known as a swing county. It voted Republican in 2000, 2012, 2016, and 2020 and Democratic in 2004 and 2008, but in most of those elections the winning candidate won by small margins. This changed in 2016 when Republican Donald Trump won the county with nearly 59% of the vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton's 37%, the largest margin of victory since Jimmy Carter won the county in 1976. Rowan County was one of four counties in Eastern Kentucky to vote for Barack Obama in 2008.

United States presidential election results for Rowan County, Kentucky^[16]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,224	63.05%	3,484	35.29%	164	1.66%
2020	5,994	59.55%	3,880	38.55%	191	1.90%
2016	5,174	58.48%	3,295	37.24%	379	4.28%
2012	4,035	52.64%	3,438	44.85%	192	2.50%
2008	3,907	47.92%	4,074	49.96%	173	2.12%
2004	4,063	46.67%	4,556	52.33%	87	1.00%
2000	3,546	49.07%	3,505	48.51%	175	2.42%
1996	2,309	36.63%	3,215	51.00%	780	12.37%
1992	2,469	33.94%	3,558	48.91%	1,247	17.14%
1988	3,093	50.90%	2,968	48.84%	16	0.26%
1984	3,698	57.16%	2,748	42.47%	24	0.37%
1980	2,758	46.07%	2,975	49.69%	254	4.24%
1976	2,244	38.24%	3,541	60.34%	83	1.41%
1972	3,245	59.45%	2,169	39.74%	44	0.81%
1968	2,017	45.23%	1,898	42.57%	544	12.20%
1964	1,554	35.35%	2,824	64.24%	18	0.41%
1960	2,558	51.47%	2,412	48.53%	0	0.00%
1956	2,470	50.85%	2,380	49.00%	7	0.14%
1952	1,985	47.08%	2,220	52.66%	11	0.26%
1948	1,502	41.21%	2,097	57.53%	46	1.26%
1944	1,815	48.09%	1,944	51.51%	15	0.40%
1940	1,944	45.85%	2,294	54.10%	2	0.05%
1936	1,687	45.79%	1,989	53.99%	8	0.22%
1932	1,622	36.12%	2,844	63.34%	24	0.53%
1928	1,857	61.25%	1,170	38.59%	5	0.16%
1924	1,326	53.60%	1,092	44.14%	56	2.26%
1920	1,564	54.94%	1,264	44.40%	19	0.67%
1916	941	51.17%	881	47.91%	17	0.92%
1912	417	25.23%	737	44.59%	499	30.19%

Legal compliance

In June and July 2015, the Rowan county clerk, Kim Davis, refused several residents their right to marry, a right guaranteed by the ruling of the Supreme Court on June 26, 2015, that same-sex marriages are legal across the entirety of the United States. Privately held religious belief was given as the reason for non-compliance with the Court's ruling and with the state governor's executive order of June 26 instructing all state agencies and clerks to comply with it.^[17]

Media

WMKY – Morehead State University radio
W10BM – TV
Rowan Review – local online news
The Trail Blazer – Morehead State University newspaper
News Center - Morehead State University Television

Communities

Cities

Lakeview Heights
Morehead (county seat)

Census-designated place

Farmers

Other unincorporated communities

Notable people

Kim Davis – former Rowan County Clerk, jailed for refusing to comply with a federal court order directing her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges
Cora Wilson Stewart (1875–1958) – first woman to be elected to the position of the president of the Kentucky Education Association; opened Moonlight School, a nationwide night education program for illiterate adults

References

Specific

^ ^a ^b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. pp. 36.
^ "Wet & Dry Counties in Kentucky" (PDF). Kentucky Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 15, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Farmers Once Industrial Center of Rowan County". The Morehead News. February 2, 1977. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
^ Pearce, John Ed (2010). Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky. The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813126579.
^ "Early history of Rowan County as taken from the records of the first established womens [sic] club here". The Rowan County News. April 30, 1936. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
^ "Kentucky Clerk Denies Same-Sex Marriage Licenses, Defying Court". New York Times. September 1, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
^ "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 19, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Voter turnout expected to be high". Morehead News. Morehead, Kentucky. October 31, 2014.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
^ "ACLU sues Rowan clerk over marriage licenses". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved July 8, 2015.