Nicholas County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Nicholas County has a population of 7,708 residents and a median age of 40.6 years, making it the #2,672 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.6%. The median home value is $123,000, and the median household income is $59,531, which is 21% below the national median.
Demographics
Nicholas County has a population of 7,708, making it the #2,672 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Nicholas County is $59,531, ranking #2,120 out of 3,222 counties — 20.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.6% and unemployment stands at 6.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Nicholas County is $123,000 (-56.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $728/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Nicholas County, 9.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 70.9% below the national average, ranking #3,188 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Nicholas County is 72.7 years. 23.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.5% of adults in Nicholas County smoke , 40.2% are obese , and 15.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 52.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 50.6 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
25.4% of children in Nicholas County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Nicholas County is 61.8%. The mean commute time is 36.8 min, which is 33.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Nicholas County voted Republican with a margin of 49.0%. The vote was 24.8% Dem / 73.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Nicholas County, Kentucky
Nicholas County, Kentucky has a total population of 7,708, making it the 2,672nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Nicholas County is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Nicholas County is $59,531, which ranks #2,120 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.1%.
The median home value in Nicholas County is $123,000, 56.4% below the national median. Renters in Nicholas County pay a median gross rent of $728 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Nicholas County, 9.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 70.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 36.8 min.
Nicholas County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.3%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.2%).
All data for Nicholas County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.