Nicholas County, West Virginia
Located in West Virginia, Nicholas County has a population of 24,277 residents and a median age of 46.1 years, making it the #1,689 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.4%. The median home value is $121,600, and the median household income is $54,639, which is 27% below the national median.
Demographics
Nicholas County has a population of 24,277, making it the #1,689 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.1 years, which is 18.5% 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 $54,639, ranking #2,497 out of 3,222 counties — 27.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.4% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Nicholas County is $121,600 (-56.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $686/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Nicholas County, 23.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 30.8% below the national average, ranking #1,461 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Nicholas County is 71.7 years. 22.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.5% of adults in Nicholas County smoke , 39.4% are obese , and 16.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 52.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Nicholas County is 10.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 28.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.8% of children in Nicholas County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 25.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Nicholas County is 54.3%. The mean commute time is 33.4 min, which is 21.1% 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 60.2%. The vote was 19.1% Dem / 79.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Nicholas County, West Virginia
Nicholas County, West Virginia has a total population of 24,277, making it the 1,689th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Nicholas County is 46.1 years, which is 18.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Nicholas County is $54,639, which ranks #2,497 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.
The median home value in Nicholas County is $121,600, 56.9% below the national median. Renters in Nicholas County pay a median gross rent of $686 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Nicholas County, 23.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.4 min.
Nicholas County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.1%).
All data for Nicholas County, West Virginia 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.