Elsmere is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 9,159 at the 2020 census.

Geography

Elsmere is located in western Kenton County and is bordered to the north and east by Erlanger, to the south by Independence, and to the west by Florence in Boone County. The Dixie Highway (U.S. Routes 25, 42, and 127) forms the northern border of the city and leads northeast 7 mi to Covington and southwest 1.5 mi to the center of Florence. According to the United States Census Bureau, Elsmere has a total area of 6.9 km2, of which 0.05 sqkm, or 0.73%, are water.

History

The community was first settled in 1885 as "South Erlanger". Elsmere organized as a city in 1896, renamed after Elsmere Avenue in Norwood, Ohio, the hometown of one of its founders.

Government

In 1998, Billy Bradford was elected mayor of Elsmere, the first African-American mayor elected in northern Kentucky. He served 12 years (three terms), and now serves as a member of the city council. The current mayor is Marty Lenhof.

Economy

Regal Beloit (formerly Emerson Power Transmission ) and L'Oréal have facilities in an unincorporated pocket of Kenton County surrounded by Elsmere. Portions of Elsmere have a Florence mailing address. Mazak's North American headquarters are in Elsmere.

Education

Portions of the cities of Elsmere and adjacent Erlanger share a public school system: Erlanger/Elsmere Independent School District. The following schools are shared by the areas of the two cities within the Erlanger/Elsmere school district: A portion of Elsmere is in the Kenton County School District

Demographics

According to the 2010 U.S. census, there were 8,451 people, 2,992 households, and 2,131 families residing in the city. The racial makeup was 84.3 percent white, 7.1 percent black, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian American, 0.2% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 4.2% some other race, and 3.4% two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.