Population 7,708 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Nicholas County
Household size in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.77 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Nicholas County average 2.77 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.56, even as the national average fell. Of Kentucky's 120 counties, only six have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.0 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.0 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.0 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 41.0, the median age in Nicholas County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the center.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Nicholas County (9.7%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Compared with other Kentucky counties, Nicholas County has a lower share of single-parent households than most.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Nicholas County
Renters in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.5% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Nicholas County rent their homes (25.5%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About six in ten owners (59.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.0 points, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Nicholas County: 16.2% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Nicholas County leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southwest has the oldest housing. Only three of Kentucky's 120 counties have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $457 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $484 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $517 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $710 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$253 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Nicholas County costs $710 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $253 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Nicholas County
Bachelor's degrees in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Nicholas County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 9.6%, against 35.6% nationally. Only three of Kentucky's 120 counties have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.7% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.7% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.4% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.3% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.6 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Nicholas County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 11.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Nicholas County than nationally: unemployment was 6.8%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 1.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Nicholas County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas County | 2.77 | 41.0 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 16.2% | 1973 | $710 | 9.6% | 87.3% | 6.8% |
| Bourbon County | 2.54 | 42.0 | 11.2% | 36.3% | 10.2% | 1977 | $846 | 26.3% | 87.5% | 4.3% |
| Harrison County | 2.65 | 42.7 | 12.5% | 28.6% | 12.4% | 1981 | $762 | 21.7% | 90.5% | 3.0% |
| Fleming County | 2.63 | 41.2 | 12.5% | 25.2% | 13.1% | 1984 | $680 | 18.8% | 84.2% | 7.5% |
| Scott County | 2.61 | 37.3 | 12.1% | 28.3% | 7.0% | 1996 | $1,254 | 35.1% | 94.0% | 4.4% |
| Carter County | 2.39 | 42.2 | 7.3% | 20.0% | 11.5% | 1985 | $713 | 15.5% | 83.8% | 5.7% |
| Henry County | 2.57 | 42.0 | 11.9% | 23.7% | 9.9% | 1976 | $992 | 15.5% | 86.9% | 4.7% |
| Shelby County | 2.62 | 41.7 | 10.1% | 26.1% | 6.9% | 1990 | $1,092 | 32.3% | 88.2% | 4.3% |
| Boyd County | 2.40 | 43.5 | 14.6% | 29.8% | 12.2% | 1972 | $844 | 20.2% | 90.1% | 6.4% |
| Oldham County | 2.88 | 40.2 | 12.2% | 12.9% | 4.6% | 1994 | $1,330 | 47.4% | 94.8% | 3.3% |
| Wayne County | 2.48 | 44.5 | 10.8% | 21.4% | 14.8% | 1975 | $1,005 | 18.8% | 87.2% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Walworth County, SD · Camas County, ID · Valley County, NE · Van Buren County, AR · Van Buren County, TN · Vinton County, OH · Wabash County, IL · Wadena County, MN · Wahkiakum County, WA · Wallace County, KS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Nicholas County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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