Walton, Kentucky

Walton is a home rule-class city in Boone and Kenton counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 5,460 at the 2020 census.

History
Walton was established in 1840. The railroad was extended to Walton in 1869, prompting growth.

Geography
Walton is located in southeastern Boone County and extends slightly into southwestern Kenton County. U.S. Route 25 (Main Street) runs through the center of the city, and Interstates 75 and 71 diverge just west of the city limits. Access to the city from I-75 is via exit 171 (Kentucky Routes 14 and 16). Downtown Cincinnati is 21 mi to the north, Lexington is 64 mi south via I-75, and Louisville is 82 mi to the southwest via I-71. Walton is the highest point between Cincinnati and Louisville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Walton has a total area of 11.1 sqkm, of which 0.05 sqkm, or 0.41%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,450 people, 913 households, and 665 families residing in the city. The population density was 701.4 PD/sqmi. There were 992 housing units at an average density of 284.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.35% White, 0.94% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.73% of the population.

There were 913 households, out of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.

The age distribution was 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,462, and the median income for a family was $45,924. Males had a median income of $36,341 versus $24,858 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,296. About 4.7% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The majority of the city of Walton (the portion in Boone County) is part of the Walton-Verona Independent Schools. There is an elementary school in the neighboring community of Verona, and a high school and middle school within the city of Walton. The elementary school houses about 500 students, and serves preschool through fourth grade. The middle school serves grades five through eight and the high school teaches grades nine through twelve.

The portion of Walton in Kenton County is a part of the Kenton County School District.

One parochial elementary school exists in the city, St. Joseph Academy, with parochial high schools nearby.

Six universities and ten colleges are within 50 mi of Walton, such as the Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College, Indiana Wesleyan University, and Gateway Community and Technical College.

Walton has a public library, a branch of the Boone County Public Library.