The Town Files

Harrodsburg, Kentucky

City in Mercer County · population 9,064 (2020 Census)

Map: where Harrodsburg is in KentuckyHarrodsburg
Median home
$154,200
Household income
$48,381
Jan low / Jul high
27° / 86°
Snow a year
10 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
22
Median age
37.7

Harrodsburg is a city of 9,064 people in Mercer County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $154,200, close to the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks hipper than 70% of Kentucky towns.

Harrodsburg in our rankings:

How Harrodsburg 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.

Harrodsburg lifestyle rankings vs other Kentucky townsRetirement66th pctFamilies56th pctQuiet51st pctWalkability60th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals57th pctVibrancy58th pctHip & trendy70th pctCollege town56th pctUpscale56th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving58th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Harrodsburg is worth $154,200, close to the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 3.2 times the median household income of $48,381, which is more affordable than 41% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $790 a month. 59.7% of households own their home.

Harrodsburg vs Mercer County vs typical Kentucky townHarrodsburgMercer CountyTypical Kentucky townHome value$154,200$202,300$161,450Household income$48,381$64,824$54,969Monthly rent$790$831$837
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Kentucky towns with 500+ people.
HousingHarrodsburgTypical Kentucky town
Median home value$154,200$161,450
Median rent$790$837
Median household income$48,381$54,969
Home value ÷ income3.2×3.0×
Homeownership59.7%63.5%
Median year built19741974
Seasonal / vacation homes0.9%—

Who lives in Harrodsburg

PeopleHarrodsburgTypical Kentucky town
Median age37.739.1
Age 65 and over17.7%18.1%
Under 1822.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher21.0%19.8%
Below the poverty line14.5%18.0%
Veterans7.3%—
Born outside the U.S.5.4%—
Work from home10.2%7.5%
Average commute19.9 min22.2 min
Homes with broadband86.3%88.6%

Weather in Harrodsburg

July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 27.3°F. About 45.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 9.6 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 28 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 80 nights at or below freezing.

Harrodsburg monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing45°27°Jan49°29°Feb59°36°Mar70°46°Apr77°55°May84°63°Jun86°67°Jul86°65°Aug80°58°Sep71°48°Oct56°35°Nov45°29°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.13.33.53.24.11.44.44.94.74.73.23.43.33.10.23.61.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Dix Dam station (7.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harrodsburg since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 3, 1974 about 8.5 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 60 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 30, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Harrodsburg by decade01950s01960s41970s21980s61990s32000s22010s52020s
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 32 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 25, 2015.

Severe weather in Mercer County since 1996

Storm events in Mercer County since 1996 by typeHail22Flood10Tornado7High Wind9Ice Storm5Lightning3Heavy Rain1Heavy Snow12
NOAA Storm Events Database, Mercer County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Mercer County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 1, 2026Severe StormDR-4937: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 24, 2026Winter StormEM-3633: Severe Winter Storm
April 24, 2025Severe StormDR-4864: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2025Severe StormEM-3626: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
February 16, 2025Severe StormEM-3624: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides

Jobs and pay in Mercer County

Mercer County had 6,560 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,248 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Harrodsburg itself the ACS puts it at 6.1%.

Largest industries in Mercer CountyManufacturing1,982 jobs · $84,961Health care & social assistan…799 jobs · $42,212Retail668 jobs · $37,895Hotels & restaurants482 jobs · $20,680Administrative & support448 jobs · $79,057Construction341 jobs · $65,387
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Mercer County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Mercer 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Harrodsburg

7 public schools with 2,724 students, about 16.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Mercer County Senior High School9-1275318.4
Mercer County Elementary SchoolPK-272814.6
Kenneth D. King Middle School6-862016.8
Mercer County Intermediate School3-556515.3
Mercer Central9-124611.5
Mercer County Day Treatment6-121212.0
Trailblazer Academy8-12——

Towns near Harrodsburg

Harrodsburg questions

Is Harrodsburg, Kentucky a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Harrodsburg scores better for retirees than 66% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 51%. 17.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.7).

How much does a house cost in Harrodsburg?

The median owner-occupied home in Harrodsburg is valued at $154,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,381, so homes cost about 3.2 times income. Median rent is $790 a month.

What is the weather like in Harrodsburg?

July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 27.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.9 inches of precipitation a year and 9.6 inches of snow.

Does Harrodsburg get tornadoes?

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harrodsburg since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 3, 1974. The typical Kentucky town has had 19.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Harrodsburg's Census boundary (GEOID 2134966). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.