Bowling Green is a city located in Warren County Kentucky. Bowling Green has a 2023 population of 75,336. It is also the county seat of Warren County.Bowling Green is currently growing at a rate of 1.22% annually and its population has increased by 3.71% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 72,642 in 2020.
The average household income in Bowling Green is $65,014 with a poverty rate of 25.55%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Bowling Green is 27.7 years, 27.7 years for males, and 27.6 years for females.
It is the third-most populous city in Kentucky, falling only behind Lexington and Louisville. Bowling Green is home to many major manufacturers, including Fruit of the Loom and the Bowling Green Assembly Plant that assembles Chevy Corvettes. The city is also the site of Western Kentucky University, the second largest public university in Kentucky. In the past, the city has been named as one of the best places in the nation for retirement.
The educational and job opportunities available in Bowling Green have contributed to its steady growth since its founding. Recent estimates show that the city’s population is up 12.3% since the last census was taken in 2010, indicating that an increase in Bowling Green is showing no sign of slowing down in the years ahead.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Bowling Green was:
White
Black or African American
Asian
Two or more races
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Native American
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 27,602 | 2.34 | 38.7 | 61.3 |
| Non Family | 12,422 | 1.42 | 26 | 74 |
| Married | 9,262 | 3.2 | 62.2 | 37.8 |
| Female | 4,364 | 2.9 | 29.4 | 70.6 |
| Male | 1,554 | 2.98 | 26.1 | 73.9 |
2.97
Average Family Size
2.34
Average Household Size
38.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 63.74%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 25.27%.
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
82.65% of Bowling Green residents speak only English, while 17.35% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.76% of the population.
rate
25.55%
Overall Poverty Rate
23.54%
Male Poverty Rate
27.46%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Bowling Green is Other, with 52.17% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Bowling Green is White, with 20.27% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 7.26%. Among those working part-time, it was 34.86%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.23%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
34.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
37.5%
Male Marriage Rate
31.5%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.74%
Veteran Poverty Rate
21.24%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
68%
Labor Force Participation
64.2%
Employment Rate
5.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
62.22%
Born in Bowling Green
96.7%
Native Born
14.23%
Foreign Born
9.66%
Non Citizen
4.57%
Naturalized
96.7% of Bowling Green residents were born in the United States, with 62.22% having been born in Kentucky. 9.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 4,574 | -76,452 | 1.82% |
| 1880 | 5,114 | 540 | 1.12% |
| 1890 | 7,803 | 2,689 | 4.32% |
| 1900 | 8,226 | 423 | 0.53% |
| 1910 | 9,173 | 947 | 1.1% |
| 1920 | 9,638 | 465 | 0.5% |
| 1930 | 12,348 | 2,710 | 2.51% |
| 1940 | 14,585 | 2,237 | 1.68% |
| 1950 | 18,347 | 3,762 | 2.32% |
| 1960 | 28,338 | 9,991 | 4.44% |
| 1970 | 36,705 | 8,367 | 2.62% |
| 1980 | 40,450 | 3,745 | 0.98% |
| 1990 | 40,641 | 191 | 0.05% |
| 2000 | 49,296 | 8,655 | 1.95% |
| 2010 | 58,067 | ||
| 2011 | 59,490 | 1,423 | 2.45% |
| 2012 | 60,913 | 1,423 | 2.39% |
| 2013 | 62,336 | 1,423 | 2.34% |
| 2014 | 63,759 | 1,423 | 2.28% |
| 2015 | 65,182 | 1,423 | 2.23% |
| 2016 | 66,605 | 1,423 | 2.18% |
| 2017 | 68,028 | 1,423 | 2.14% |
| 2018 | 69,451 | 1,423 | 2.09% |
| 2019 | 70,874 | 1,423 | 2.05% |
| 2020 | 72,642 | 1,768 | 2.49% |
| 2021 | 73,529 | 887 | 1.22% |
| 2022 | 74,427 | 898 | 1.22% |
| 2023 | 75,336 | 909 | 1.22% |
| 2024 | 76,256 | 920 | 1.22% |
| 2025 | 77,187 | 931 | 1.22% |
| 2026 | 78,129 | 942 | 1.22% |
| 2027 | 79,083 | 954 | 1.22% |
| 2028 | 80,049 | 966 | 1.22% |
| 2029 | 81,026 | 977 | 1.22% |