Demographics of Nicholas County, West Virginia

Nicholas County, West Virginia had 23,848 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −711 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

23,848
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −2.9%
Change since July 2020: −711 people.; 46.1 ±0.5
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $54,639 ±$5,254
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, West Virginia's population shrank 2.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Nicholas County, West Virginia'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, West Virginia's population shrank 2.9% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Nicholas County, West Virginia'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	24,559	100.0	100.0
2021	24,439	99.5	100.2
2022	24,257	98.8	100.7
2023	24,104	98.1	101.6
2024	23,955	97.5	102.5
2025	23,848	97.1	103.1

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Population of Nicholas County, West Virginia on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	24,559	−45	−32	0	−19
2021	24,439	−120	−151	+16	−1
2022	24,257	−182	−264	+21	+71
2023	24,104	−153	−185	+36	+4
2024	23,955	−149	−181	+2	+35
2025	23,848	−107	−179	0	+72

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 46.1 ±0.5: for men 44.6 ±0.8 and for women 47.1 ±1.5. 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	West Virginia	United States
Under 5	1,133 ±88	4.7% ±0.4	5.0% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	3,989 ±465	16.4% ±1.9	15.1% ±0.2	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,468 ±338	6.0% ±1.4	8.8% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	5,248 ±434	21.6% ±1.8	23.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	6,630 ±430	27.3% ±1.8	26.2% ±0.2	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	5,809 ±492	23.9% ±2.0	21.0% ±0.2	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $54,639 ±$5,254, and income per person $32,265 ±$3,212, in 2024 dollars. The median is $59,608 ±$691 in West Virginia 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	West Virginia	United States
Under $25,000	2,085 ±370	22.0% ±3.8	21.1% ±0.4	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	2,176 ±407	23.0% ±4.2	21.6% ±0.4	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	1,725 ±356	18.2% ±3.7	17.3% ±0.4	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	1,481 ±283	15.6% ±2.9	12.7% ±0.4	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	1,194 ±327	12.6% ±3.4	15.1% ±0.4	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	367 ±127	3.9% ±1.3	6.3% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	438 ±157	4.6% ±1.6	5.9% ±0.2	13.4% ±0.1

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	West Virginia	United States
All ages	3,705 ±704	15.4% ±2.9	16.7% ±0.4	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	832 ±270	16.6% ±5.1	21.5% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	1,813 ±442	16.0% ±3.8	17.0% ±0.4	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,060 ±284	13.8% ±3.6	12.8% ±0.4	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Nicholas County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Nicholas County	West Virginia	United States
Housing units	12,550 ±48	861,325 ±394	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	75.4% ±3.0	84.6% ±0.4	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	24.6% ±3.0	15.4% ±0.4	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	82.2% ±2.7	74.9% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	17.8% ±4.0	25.1% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$121,600 ±$13,727	$162,600 ±$1,346	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$686 ±$221	$872 ±$8	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1981 ±3	1976 ±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	West Virginia	United States
Hispanic or Latino	73 to 457	0.3% to 1.9%	2.1% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	23,372 ±34	96.3% ±0.1	89.7% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	0 to 272	0% to 1.1%	3.1% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	13 to 105	0.1% to 0.4%	0.8% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 6	0% to < 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 24	0% to 0.1%	< 0.1%	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 31	0% to 0.1%	0.3% ±0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	434 ±124	1.8% ±0.5	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	West Virginia	United States
Born in the state	20,040 ±712	82.5% ±2.9	67.4% ±0.3	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	3,800 ±678	15.7% ±2.8	30.2% ±0.3	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	0 to 83	0% to 0.3%	0.5% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	167 to 631	0.7% to 2.6%	1.8% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	111 to 515	0.5% to 2.1%	1.0% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	0 to 183	0% to 0.8%	0.8% ±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 West Virginia

25th of 55 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the West Virginia page.

Counties of West Virginia near Nicholas County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Jackson County	27,450	−1.0%
Randolph County	26,882	−3.6%
Mineral County	26,792	−0.4%
Mason County	24,707	−2.7%
Hampshire County	24,105	+4.4%
Nicholas County	23,848	−2.9%
Upshur County	23,758	−0.3%
Mingo County	21,455	−8.7%
Brooke County	21,142	−6.0%
Boone County	20,251	−6.9%
Wyoming County	19,801	−7.1%

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