Nicholas County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Nicholas County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 87% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 90% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Nicholas County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,708 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 39.1 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.11% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,776 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Nicholas County grew by 11.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,708 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Nicholas County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,548 20.1% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,550 20.1% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,602 20.8% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,446 18.8% +0.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Nicholas County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Nicholas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Nicholas County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Nicholas County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,796 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.36% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Nicholas County is about 7% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Nicholas County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $254,412 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $728 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Nicholas County is about 29.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $728 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Nicholas County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 261 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Nicholas County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.5 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 261 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,077 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,240 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 425 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Nicholas County is 31 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Nicholas County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Nicholas County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.74 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Nicholas County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Nicholas County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.2 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.9% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Nicholas County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Nicholas County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas County, KY | 7,708 | $59,796 #2/3 | $254,412 #2/3 | 31.3 min #3/3 |
| Bourbon County, KY | 20,240 | $61,521 | $287,999 | 23.3 min |
| Montgomery County, KY | 28,394 | $56,855 | $137,665 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Nicholas County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Nicholas County, Kentucky?
About 7,708 people live in Nicholas County, Kentucky, in 2,776 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Nicholas County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Nicholas County, Kentucky has 39 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 45% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Nicholas County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($254,412 against $59,796), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $728 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Nicholas County, Kentucky?
6.4% of adults in Nicholas County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 16), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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