Demographics of Nicholas County, Kentucky

Nicholas County, Kentucky had 7,949 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +407 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Nicholas County, in four figures

7,949
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +5.4%
Change since July 2020: +407 people.; 40.6 ±0.8
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $59,531 ±$9,781
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Nicholas County, Kentucky's population grew 5.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Nicholas County, Kentucky's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Nicholas County, Kentucky's population grew 5.4% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Nicholas County, Kentucky's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	7,542	100.0	100.0
2021	7,728	102.5	100.2
2022	7,767	103.0	100.7
2023	7,692	102.0	101.6
2024	7,752	102.8	102.5
2025	7,949	105.4	103.1

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Population of Nicholas County, Kentucky on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	7,542	+10	+3	0	+5
2021	7,728	+186	−27	0	+220
2022	7,767	+39	−30	0	+69
2023	7,692	−75	+8	0	−84
2024	7,752	+60	+22	0	+31
2025	7,949	+197	+21	−1	+179

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 40.6 ±0.8: for men 40.9 ±3.5 and for women 40.5 ±1.2. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Nicholas County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Under 5	435 ±122	5.6% ±1.6	5.9% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	1,444 ±190	18.7% ±2.5	16.7% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	645 ±200	8.4% ±2.6	9.1% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	1,782 ±260	23.1% ±3.4	25.7% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	2,103 ±197	27.3% ±2.6	25.3% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	1,299 ±170	16.9% ±2.2	17.3% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $59,531 ±$9,781, and income per person $25,299 ±$2,391, in 2024 dollars. The median is $63,726 ±$429 in Kentucky and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Nicholas County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Kentucky	United States
Under $25,000	625 ±181	22.5% ±6.4	19.6% ±0.3	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	618 ±155	22.3% ±5.4	20.4% ±0.3	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	436 ±138	15.7% ±4.9	17.1% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	466 ±135	16.8% ±4.8	12.8% ±0.2	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	480 ±130	17.3% ±4.6	15.9% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	61 to 213	2.2% to 7.7%	7.1% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	0 to 32	0% to 1.2%	7.2% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Nicholas County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Kentucky	United States
All ages	1,333 ±421	17.6% ±5.5	16.1% ±0.3	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	276 ±129	15.0% ±6.7	20.3% ±0.4	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	684 ±242	17.7% ±6.0	15.4% ±0.3	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	373 ±137	19.8% ±6.8	13.4% ±0.3	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Nicholas County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Nicholas County	Kentucky	United States
Housing units	3,333 ±18	2,023,116 ±474	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	83.3% ±5.1	89.7% ±0.3	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	16.7% ±5.1	10.3% ±0.3	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	74.5% ±5.0	68.3% ±0.4	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	25.5% ±6.1	31.7% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$123,000 ±$16,280	$205,600 ±$1,096	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$728 ±$117	$967 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1972 ±4	1982 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Nicholas County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Hispanic or Latino	13 to 147	0.2% to 1.9%	5.0% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	7,362 ±18	95.5% ±0.2	81.5% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	32 to 150	0.4% to 1.9%	7.6% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	1.6% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.3% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	175 ±67	2.3% ±0.9	3.9% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Nicholas County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Born in the state	6,667 ±352	86.5% ±4.6	67.3% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	1,008 ±349	13.1% ±4.5	27.1% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	0 to 18	0% to 0.2%	0.9% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	6 to 60	0.1% to 0.8%	4.7% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	6 to 58	0.1% to 0.8%	1.9% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	0 to 6	0% to 0.1%	2.8% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Nicholas County among the counties of Kentucky

109th of 120 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Kentucky page.

Counties of Kentucky near Nicholas County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Livingston County	8,863	−0.1%
Gallatin County	8,840	+1.9%
Crittenden County	8,807	−2.2%
Trimble County	8,701	+2.8%
Bracken County	8,511	+1.3%
Nicholas County	7,949	+5.4%
Ballard County	7,594	−1.5%
Lee County	7,297	−0.9%
Elliott County	7,265	−0.9%
Menifee County	6,430	+4.8%
Wolfe County	6,298	−4.0%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026