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city in Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States
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Somerset is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,924. Somerset's micropolitan area population is 67,384; it comprises the entirety of Pulaski County.
Somerset was first settled in 1798 by Thomas Hansford and received its name from Somerset County, New Jersey, where some of the early settlers had formerly lived. Somerset became the Pulaski County seat in 1801, and was incorporated as a city in 1887. The Civil War Battle of Mill Springs was fought in January 1862 at Logan's Crossroads (now "Nancy") about 8 miles (13 km) west of Somerset, and a museum is at the site. A smaller battle was fought nearby at Dutton's Hill in 1863. In 1875 tracks for the Southern Railway were completed and Somerset saw a population growth and an increase in industry. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, library services were provided by the pack horse library. The completion of Lake Cumberland in 1950 transformed Somerset from a sleepy rural community into a recreation center.
The Center for Rural Development in Somerset was established in 1996. It is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that describes its mission as follows: "to provide leadership that stimulates innovative and sustainable economic development solutions and a better way of life for the citizens we serve." The center's programs and services focus on public safety, arts & culture, leadership, and technology.
One person was killed in Somerset and 17 in the neighboring city of London on the evening of May 16, 2025, when an EF4 tornado caused significant damage in the area. A mass casualty incident was declared for Somerset, which sustained EF2-EF3 damage. In all, the tornado killed 19 and injured at least 108 others.
For Somernites Cruise's 25th Anniversary, on June 28, 2025, Northeast Ohio Dukes jumped a replica Dukes of Hazzard car over Somerset's Fountain Square, attracting over 35,000 spectators and bringing international attention to the town.
The city is located at the eastern end of Kentucky's Mississippian Plateau (or Pennyroyal Plateau); however, the micropolitan area extends eastward into the Appalachian Plateau (or Eastern Kentucky Coalfield), and northward to Kentucky's Outer Bluegrass region. Thus, the area shows variations in landforms and scenery.
Nearby Lake Cumberland is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world (101 miles in length, with an average depth of 85 feet (26 m) and a normal pool containing more than 2 trillion gallons of water). Somerset is also near Cumberland Falls and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; its tourism industries are, in part, due to its scenic and varied landscape.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29 km2), of which 0.09% is covered by water.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Somerset has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.
Somerset's climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 80s and mild during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30s and 40s. The warmest month of the year is July with an average daily maximum temperature of 86.5 °F (30.3 °C). The coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 29.0 °F (−1.7 °C).
The annual average precipitation at Somerset is 53.28 inches (1,353 mm). Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is July with an average rainfall of 5.28 inches (134 mm). Snowfall typically occurs between the months of December and February, though on record as early as October and as late as May.
The major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition, and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a younger housing stock and a higher income, and contains most of the area's school-age population. Over the last 20 years, housing growth has occurred along the Fishing Creek tributary of Lake Cumberland, which lies just to the west of the City of Somerset, and along the main body of Lake Cumberland between the City of Burnside and Fishing Creek. Much of the Somerset area housing growth in the last 20 years is lake oriented.
As of the 2020 census, Somerset had a population of 11,924. The median age was 42.5 years. 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.1 males age 18 and over.
99.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,979 households in Somerset, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.1% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,596 housing units, of which 11.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.
As of the census of 2000, 11,352 people, 4,831 households, and 2,845 families resided in the City of Somerset. The population density for the city was 1,007.1 persons per square mile (388.8 persons/km2). A karst valley occupies the south-central portion of the city, taking up about 25% of the land area; this valley is quasi-industrialized and also contains parks and recreational facilities; most of the population lives to the east and north of this valley in fairly compact residential neighborhoods that have a real population density of about 1,800 persons per square mile. The 5,428 housing units had an average density of 481.5 per square mile (185.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.16% White, 3.66% Black, 0.18% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.99% of the population.
Of the 4,831 households, 26.6% had children under 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were not families. About 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the city, the age distribution was 20.6% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 78.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,362, and for a family was $31,226. Males had a median income of $28,536 versus $20,194 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,048. About 16.4% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under 18 and 18.9% of those 65 or over.
Tourism is important to Somerset, due to its proximity to Lake Cumberland, which generated about $150 million in revenue each year as of 2013, though the industry has been greatly impacted in recent years by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' work on the Wolf Creek Dam. Since 2007, Lake Cumberland has been at low levels to facilitate the Corps work. The city holds the annual Master Musicians Festival. The Civil War Battle of Mill Springs took place in nearby Nancy. In November 2006, the Mill Springs Battlefield Visitor Center and Museum opened. Begun in 2001, Somernites Cruise is a monthly classic car show held the fourth weekend of the months April through October.
In 2006, a new 58-acre (230,000 m2) medical park, called MedPark West, was finished near the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital (LCRH). LCRH is one of the largest in the state. LCRH is a JCAHO-accredited hospital with 304 beds. A virtual online tour of the hospital is available. A ventilator care facility, Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center, is in adjoining Rockcastle County.
On June 26, 2012, Somerset city voters approved the sale of alcoholic beverages by a margin of 2,167 "Wet" votes to 1,464 "Dry" votes. This vote allows for packaged liquor and beer sales, and sales by the drink at restaurants and bars.
In 2014, a municipal-run filling station, the Somerset Fuel Center, was opened in response to persistently high local gas prices. "The price of gas will be based on an average regional price and will include a small markup to cover costs, the mayor said." In addition to serving local residents, it was hoped the station would encourage visits to nearby Lake Cumberland for fishing and boating.
Nearby Somerset, located off Highway 461, is the Valley Oak Technology Complex, an industrial center. Housed there are such companies as SafeAuto.
On November 21, 2025, the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority and Publix Super Markets announced that a Publix was coming to the city at U.S. 27 and Jefferson Drive.
Major employers in the Somerset area include:
The central portions of Somerset are within the Somerset Independent School District, while outerlying portions are instead in the Pulaski County School District. The comprehensive high schools of the county school districts are Pulaski County High School and Southwestern High School, which was built in 1993 to alleviate overcrowding. The three main high schools are Southwestern, Pulaski County, and Somerset. A single K8 independent school named Science Hill Independent School is located in Science Hill which students of Somerset can attend.
Other smaller schools include Tabernacle Christian Academy, Somerset Christian School, and Saline Christian Academy.
The local two-year college, Somerset Community College, is part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Somerset Community College offers one of the few aviation maintenance technology programs (airframe and powerplant) in Kentucky at Lake Cumberland Regional Airport. There is also a regional campus for Campbellsville University located in Somerset.
Somerset has a lending library, a branch of the Pulaski County Public Library.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Somerset, Kentucky”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.