Henderson, Kentucky

City in Henderson County · population 27,981 (2020 Census)

Median home: $160,100
Household income: $48,186
Jan low / Jul high: 24° / 88°
Snow a year: 1 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 26
Median age: 39.9

Henderson is a city of 27,981 people in Henderson County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $160,100, close to the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks better for cycling than 88% of Kentucky towns, more walkable than 79% of Kentucky towns, more vibrant than 79% of Kentucky towns.

How Henderson ranks

Percentile among Kentucky towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kentucky towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Henderson is worth $160,100, close to the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $48,186, which is more affordable than 37% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $771 a month. 54.1% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Kentucky towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Henderson	Typical Kentucky town
Median home value	$160,100	$161,450
Median rent	$771	$837
Median household income	$48,186	$54,969
Home value ÷ income	3.3×	3.0×
Homeownership	54.1%	63.5%
Median year built	1974	1974
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.1%	—

Who lives in Henderson

People	Henderson	Typical Kentucky town
Median age	39.9	39.1
Age 65 and over	18.8%	18.1%
Under 18	21.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.4%	19.8%
Below the poverty line	18.7%	18.0%
Veterans	5.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.7%	—
Work from home	6.0%	7.5%
Average commute	19.8 min	22.2 min
Homes with broadband	92.4%	88.6%

Weather in Henderson

July highs average 87.5°F and January lows 23.9°F. About 47.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.6 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 38 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 93 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Henderson State Police station (3.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Henderson since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. 15 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on March 28, 2009 about 6.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 24 deaths and 260 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 28, 2020.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 36 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on March 22, 1991.

Severe weather in Henderson County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Henderson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Henderson County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
September 1, 2026	Severe Storm	DR-4937: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 24, 2026	Winter Storm	EM-3633: Severe Winter Storm
April 24, 2025	Severe Storm	DR-4864: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2025	Severe Storm	EM-3626: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
February 24, 2025	Severe Storm	DR-4860: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Henderson County

Henderson County had 18,686 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,781 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Henderson itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Henderson

11 public schools with 6,029 students, about 15.9 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
Henderson County High School	9-12	1,928	16.5
Henderson County South Middle School	6-8	681	16.2
Henderson County North Middle School	6-8	652	14.2
Jefferson Elementary School	K-5	426	17.0
Bend Gate Elementary School	K-5	426	14.2
South Heights Elementary School	K-5	415	13.8
Thelma B. Johnson Early Learning Center	PK-PK	392	21.8
East Heights Elementary School	K-5	350	13.5
Niagara Elementary School	K-5	269	16.8
Cairo Elementary School	K-5	250	15.6
The Central Academy	6-12	240	18.5

Towns near Henderson

Evansville, IN
10.6 mi · 117,298 people · home $143,100
Newburgh, IN
12.3 mi · 3,344 people · home $237,600
Melody Hill, IN
13.4 mi · 3,689 people · home $201,600
Highland, IN
14.4 mi · 4,435 people · home $240,400
Chandler, IN
17.8 mi · 3,693 people · home $131,100
Mount Vernon, IN
18.5 mi · 6,493 people · home $163,300
Morganfield, KY
19.4 mi · 3,256 people · home $113,600
Boonville, IN
21.4 mi · 6,712 people · home $162,400

Henderson questions

Is Henderson, Kentucky a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Henderson scores better for retirees than 19% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 23%. 18.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.9).

How much does a house cost in Henderson?

The median owner-occupied home in Henderson is valued at $160,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,186, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $771 a month.

What is the weather like in Henderson?

July highs average 87.5°F and January lows 23.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.6 inches of snow.

Does Henderson get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Henderson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on March 28, 2009. The typical Kentucky town has had 19.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Henderson's Census boundary (GEOID 2135866). Comparisons use the median of Kentucky towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.