Economic Intelligence | Any Geography

Hardin County, KY

Welcome to Hardin County.

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Hardin County is the fourth largest by geography, among 120 counties in Kentucky.

Total GDP for the county increased 24%, in the five years ending in 2022, to reach $6.5 billion.

Between 2000 and 2024 presidential elections, Hardin County voted for Republican candidates six out of six times and never voted for a Democratic candidate.

Hardin County comprises Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY metropolitan area.

The largest city in the county is Elizabethtown.

Surrounding counties and county equivalents include: Harrison County, Breckinridge County, Bullitt County, Grayson County, Hart County, Jefferson County, Larue County, Meade County, and Nelson County.

Presidential Election

🔵 Democrat    🔴 Republican

Election Year
Candidates (Party)*
Votes (% Total)Landslide
Scale**
🔵🔴
2000
🔴George W. Bush
🔵Al Gore
36.15%61.79%++
2004
🔴George W. Bush
🔵John Kerry
31.58%67.58%++
2008
🔵Barack Obama
🔴John McCain
39.13%59.75%++
2012
🔵Barack Obama
🔴Mitt Romney
38.79%59.56%++
2016
🔴Donald Trump
🔵Hillary Clinton
32.31%62.5%++
2020
🔵Joe Biden
🔴Donald Trump
36.99%60.96%++
2024
🔴Donald Trump
🔵Kamala Harris
Notes:
*Presidential Tickets
2000 (R) George W. Bush & Dick Cheney; (D) Al Gore & Joe Lieberman
2004 (R) George W. Bush & Dick Cheney; (D)John Kerry & John Edwards
2008 (D) Barack Obama & Joe Biden; (R) John McCain & Sarah Palin
2012 (D) Barack Obama & Joe Biden; (R) Mitt Romney & Paul Ryan
2016 (R) Donald Trump & Mike Pence; (D) Hillary Clinton & Tim Kaine
2020 (D) Joe Biden & Kamala Harris; (R) Donald Trump & Mike Pence
2024 (R) Donald Trump & JD Vance; (D) Kamala Harris & Tim Waltz
**Landslide Scale (county)
+ Victory margin was less than 20 percent
++ Victory margin was between 20 to 49 percentage points of more votes
+++ Victory margin was more than half but below three quarters
++++ Victory margin was three quarters or more

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Economic Significance

Key IndustryAs %
County GDP
GDP
Growth*
County GDP1100%24%
Government
Enterprises
34%12%
Private Industries66%30%
Agriculture<1%-2%
Mining<1%109%
Utilities<1%68%
Construction3%105%
Manufacturing14%10%
– Durable11%3%
– Nondurable4%34%
Trade10%42%
– Wholesale3%89%
– Retail7%28%
Transportation2%53%
Information6%18%
Finance & Insurance3%15%
Real Estate10%30%
Professional &
Business Services
6%24%
Educational Services<1%-7%
Healthcare &
Social Services
6%73%
Arts, Recreation &
Entertainment
<1%33%
Accommodation &
Food Services
3%38%
Other Services23%24%
Notes:
*Growth rates are based on most recent five-year value available and are updated dynamically
1. All industry total.
2. Includes various repairs, maintenance, personal care, religious organizations, social and professional organizations etc.

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Local Vibrancy

Total*Vibrancy
Indicator
(1-100)**
🚙 Automobile Dealers2575
🪑 Furniture &
Home Furnishings
1863
📺 Electronics & Appliance1060
🛒 Grocery Stores1762
🍾 Beer, Wine & Liquor Stores1367
⚕️ Health & Personal Care3877
⛽ Gasoline Stations5582
👕 Clothing Stores2365
👠 Shoe Stores641
🧳 Luggage, Leather Goods & Jewelry427
🏸 Sporting Goods955
📚 Book Stores & News Dealers324
🏬 Department Stores3482
💐 Florists438
🎁 Gift, Novelty & Souvenir Shops643
🐕 Pet & Pet Supplies 322
🍺 Bars & Taverns424
🍽️ Full-service restaurants7177
🍔 Limited-service restaurants8578
🏠 Offices of Real Estate Agents & Brokers4372
🛏️ Traveler Accommodation2877
Notes:
* Total counts of establishments are places of business.
** Vibrancy score is based on comparisons of relevant establishments per square mile of land area among all counties and county equivalents in the United States; A score of 100 means the county is in the top one percentile.

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Wealth Indicators

Household Income by Distribution
As % County’s
Total Household Income
Average Household Income
Maximum Household Income
Top 5%115%$243,300 N/A
Top 20%43%$171,200 $191,500
Next highest 20%26%$102,300 $119,900
Middle 20%18%$69,400 $85,000
Second lowest 20%10%$39,000 $53,400
Bottom 20%3%$13,700 $24,100
Notes:
1. Households with aggregate income above 95% of all households in the county
% Total
Households
Average Household
Income*
Wages & Salaries71%$76,700
Self-Employment8%$50,900
Investment Income113%$21,400
Social Security36%$21,400
Supplemental Security8%$12,300
Public Assistance2%Below $10,000
Retirement29%$26,500
Notes:
* Calculation based on households claim to have specific source of income; Households may have more than one source of income
1Includes interest, dividends, and net rental income

Under
25*
Age 25
to 49*
Age 50
to 64*
Age 65
& Older*
Below
$25K
1%3%5%6%
$25K
– $49K
1%9%7%7%
$50K
– $99K
1%12%12%7%
$100K
– $199K
1%9%11%4%
$200K
& more
<1%1%4%1%
Notes:
* Age of heads of households

 

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Median Earnings by Worker Characteristics
Race/EthnicityMaleFemale
Non-Hispanic White$55,600 $25,700
African-American$36,000 $77,800
Hispanic
Asian
Level of Education MaleFemale
Below Highschool$43,900 $38,900
Highschool & GED$60,800 $23,000
Some College to
Associate’s
$61,000 $33,800
College/Bachelor’s
Degree
$73,500 $60,400
Graduate Degree$101,900 $53,100
OccupationMaleFemale
White-Collar1$63,000 $46,500
STEM2$70,800 $66,200
Gray-Collar3$43,800 $25,000
Pink-Collar4$46,300
Sales5$48,000 $15,900
Blue-Collar6$61,600 $51,500
Notes:
1. Management, business, science, and arts occupations
2. Computer, engineering, and science occupations
3. Protective service occupations including firefighters and law enforcement
4. Personal care and service occupations
5. Sales and sales related
6.Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

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Climate Risks

Disaster CategoryNatural Hazard
Risk Rating
Annual Loss
Per Capita
Avalanche
Coastal Flooding
Cold Waves+$
Drought+
Earthquake+$
Hail+$
Heat Waves+$
Hurricane+
Ice Storm+$
Landslide+
Lightning++$
Riverine Flooding++$
Strong Wind++$
Tornado+$
Tsunami
Volcanic Activity
Wildfires+
Winter Weather+
Notes:
Locations with insufficient data or not rated are left blank.
+: Very low to Relatively low risk ratings
++: Relatively moderate
+++: Relatively high
++++: Very high
$: Expected per capita annual loss from the natural disaster is below $100
$$: $100-499
$$$: $500-999
$$$$: $1,000 and more

 

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