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McCracken County is a county located in the Jackson Purchase, the extreme western end of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 65,514. The largest city in the county is Paducah. There is some dispute about the naming of the city. According to one popular story, Paducah was named after Chief Paduke. Many historians dispute the existence of Chief Paduke, however; they note that Paducah is similar to the word that the Chickasaw Indians, who lived in the region at the time of European settlement, used to refer to themselves. Its county seat is Paducah6.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 694 km² (268 mi²). 650 km² (251 mi²) of it is land and 44 km² (17 mi²) of it (6.36%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Massac County, Illinois (north, across the Ohio River)
- Livingston County (northeast, across the Tennessee River)
- Marshall County (east)
- Graves County (south)
- Carlisle County (southwest)
- Ballard County (west)
Demographics
| '''McCracken County Population by year |
As of the census² of 2000, there were 65,514 people, 27,736 households, and 18,444 families residing in the county. The population density was 101/km² (261/mi²). There were 30,361 housing units at an average density of 47/km² (121/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.76% White, 10.88% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 1.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 27,736 households out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.50% were non-families. 29.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,865, and the median income for a family was $42,513. Males had a median income of $36,417 versus $22,704 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,533. About 11.40% of families and 15.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- † These unincorporated coomunties are Census disignated places.
Law and Government
McCracken County is represented congressionally as District 1 of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Education
Public elementary and secondary education in the county is provided by two school districts:
- McCracken County Public Schools, which serves the entire county except for the bulk of the city of Paducah, served by:
- Paducah Public Schools
Several private schools also provide K-12 education.
Higher education is provided by West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Like all other schools in this system, WKCTC offers associate degrees. The state's largest public university, the University of Kentucky, operates a branch campus of its College of Engineering at WKCTC.
External link
McCracken County, Kentucky | Kentucky counties | Ohio River counties
"McCracken County, Kentucky"