# Lyon County, Kentucky

Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,680. Its county seat is Eddyville. The county was formed from Caldwell County, Kentucky in 1854 and named for former Congressman Chittenden Lyon.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 257 square miles (670 km$^2$), of which 214 square miles (550 km$^2$) is land and 43 square miles (110 km$^2$) (17%) is water.

### Adjacent counties

* Crittenden County (north)
* Caldwell County (east)
* Trigg County (south)
* Marshall County (southwest)
* Livingston County (northwest)

### National protected area

* Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (part)

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,080 people, 2,898 households, and 2,043 families living in the county. The population density was 38 per square mile (15/km$^2$). There were 4,189 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7.3/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 91.86% White, 6.72% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Lyon County, Kentucky according to the census of 2000 are:
* English - 21%
* Irish - 15%
* German - 12%
* African - 7%
* French - 4%
* Scottish - 2%
* Scots-Irish - 20%
* Dutch - 2%
There were 2,898 households, out of which 25.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.70.
The age distribution was 15.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 27.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 133.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 138.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,694, and the median income for a family was $39,940. Males had a median income of $36,034 versus $21,806 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,016. About 10.20% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities
### Cities

* Eddyville (county seat)
* Kuttawa

### Unincorporated communities

* Carmack
* Confederate
* Commerce Landing
* Eddy Bay
* Eden Bay
* Confederate
* Greenacres
* Indian Hills
* Lamasco
* Palisades
* Paradise Hills
* Saratoga
* Suwanee
* Twin Lakes
* Wildhood Hills

## Notable residents

* Keen Johnson, publisher and Kentucky governor, born in Lyon County, 1896
* Hylan Benton Lyon, Confederate general and Kentucky political figure
* Forrest Pogue, World War II Historian, born in Lyon County, 1912
* Travis Perry, University of Kentucky's men's basketball player

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Lyon County, Kentucky :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 3,187 | 76.12% | 950 | 22.69% | 50 | 1.19% |
| 2020 | 3,100 | 73.32% | 1,092 | 25.83% | 36 | 0.85% |
| 2016 | 2,789 | 70.39% | 1,045 | 26.38% | 128 | 3.23% |
| 2012 | 2,412 | 62.83% | 1,373 | 35.76% | 54 | 1.41% |
| 2008 | 2,220 | 57.59% | 1,577 | 40.91% | 58 | 1.50% |
| 2004 | 2,132 | 54.32% | 1,769 | 45.07% | 24 | 0.61% |
| 2000 | 1,688 | 49.36% | 1,680 | 49.12% | 52 | 1.52% |
| 1996 | 999 | 34.03% | 1,641 | 55.89% | 296 | 10.08% |
| 1992 | 820 | 30.34% | 1,583 | 58.56% | 300 | 11.10% |
| 1988 | 1,077 | 44.47% | 1,337 | 55.20% | 8 | 0.33% |
| 1984 | 969 | 42.97% | 1,272 | 56.41% | 14 | 0.62% |
| 1980 | 968 | 38.31% | 1,496 | 59.20% | 63 | 2.49% |
| 1976 | 585 | 26.34% | 1,606 | 72.31% | 30 | 1.35% |
| 1972 | 1,030 | 58.52% | 687 | 39.03% | 43 | 2.44% |
| 1968 | 579 | 29.88% | 719 | 37.10% | 640 | 33.02% |
| 1964 | 583 | 29.06% | 1,412 | 70.39% | 11 | 0.55% |
| 1960 | 1,024 | 42.61% | 1,379 | 57.39% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 989 | 39.01% | 1,527 | 60.24% | 19 | 0.75% |
| 1952 | 746 | 34.57% | 1,404 | 65.06% | 8 | 0.37% |
| 1948 | 582 | 26.18% | 1,505 | 67.70% | 136 | 6.12% |
| 1944 | 924 | 34.53% | 1,743 | 65.13% | 9 | 0.34% |
| 1940 | 921 | 31.57% | 1,979 | 67.84% | 17 | 0.58% |
| 1936 | 929 | 33.19% | 1,861 | 66.49% | 9 | 0.32% |
| 1932 | 873 | 29.31% | 2,099 | 70.46% | 7 | 0.23% |
| 1928 | 1,215 | 48.39% | 1,286 | 51.21% | 10 | 0.40% |
| 1924 | 993 | 36.33% | 1,696 | 62.06% | 44 | 1.61% |
| 1920 | 1,275 | 38.85% | 1,968 | 59.96% | 39 | 1.19% |
| 1916 | 748 | 38.16% | 1,191 | 60.77% | 21 | 1.07% |
| 1912 | 568 | 31.98% | 996 | 56.08% | 212 | 11.94% |

### Elected officials

Elected officials as of January 3, 2025 :
| U.S. House | James Comer (R) | KY 1 |
| Ky. Senate | Jason Howell (R) | 1 |
| Ky. House | Chris Freeland (R) | 6 |

## Education

The school district for all of the county is Lyon County School District.