Paducah, KY-IL Metro Area
The Paducah, KY-IL metro area is made up of 5 counties in Kentucky and Illinois: McCracken, Massac, Livingston, Ballard, and Carlisle, largest first. About 102,259 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 1.2% fewer than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 102,259 1.2% fewer than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 5: 1 central, 4 outlying
- Land area
- 1,235 sq mi (3,200 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- Combined statistical area
- Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL
- CBSA code
- 37140
Counties in the Paducah, KY-IL metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCracken CountyKentucky | Central | 67,553 | 66.1% |
| Massac CountyIllinois | Outlying | 13,502 | 13.2% |
| Livingston CountyKentucky | Outlying | 8,863 | 8.7% |
| Ballard CountyKentucky | Outlying | 7,594 | 7.4% |
| Carlisle CountyKentucky | Outlying | 4,747 | 4.6% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Paducah26,845 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Mayfield, KY Micro Area37,050 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Mayfield, KY Micro Area23 mi south
- Cape Girardeau, MO-IL Metro Area53 mi west
- Sikeston, MO Micro Area54 mi west
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.