Spencer County, Kentucky  Spencer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,061. Its county seat is Taylorsville. The county was founded in 1824 and named for Spier Spencer. Spencer County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Taylorsville Lake, located primarily within Spencer County, serves as a major economic resource for the area. Spencer was a dry county until 2009 when the county's residents voted to overturn the ban on alcohol sales. From 2000 to 2005, Spencer County ranked 19th out of all U.S. counties in percent growth, with a 33% increase. Spencer County was formed in January 1824, by the 32nd Kentucky General Assembly. The land that now makes up Spencer County was taken from Bullitt County, Shelby County, and Nelson County. Spencer County became Kentucky's 77th county. The county was named for Kentucky's Captain Spier Spencer, who fought and died in the Battle of Tippecanoe. Later that year, in December 1824, Taylorsville was made the county seat. In 1829, the city was incorporated. During the American Civil War, the courthouse at Taylorsville was burned by Confederate guerrillas in January 1865, but the county's records were saved. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.6%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,766 people, 4,251 households, and 3,358 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 4,555 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.50% White, 1.13% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 4,251 households out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.90% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were non-families. 17.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.