Population 24,277 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Nicholas County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Nicholas County
Household size in Nicholas County
| Period | Nicholas County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Nicholas County has 2.55 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in West Virginia as a whole, where it has 2.43 people. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northeast.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.9 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.9 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.0 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.0, Nicholas County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.9, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the west, 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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Nicholas County (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. West Virginia as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is up 2.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.6% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.8% of households in Nicholas County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over six in ten owners (63.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the southeast.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.8% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Nicholas County: 23.2% 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 has risen 2.4 points since 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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Nicholas County are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in West Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1976. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the southeast.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $464 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $566 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $704 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $712 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$248 | +$327 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Nicholas County costs $712 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $248 a month from 2006–10, a 53% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.6% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Nicholas County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 11.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southwest.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.1% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.4% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.7% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.5% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Nicholas County have finished high school as nationally: 90.5%, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 10.4 points, 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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Nicholas County than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 1.3 points, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.55 | 46.0 | 10.2% | 17.8% | 23.2% | 1980 | $712 | 24.6% | 90.5% | 6.3% |
| Pocahontas County | 2.38 | 49.0 | 6.6% | 16.4% | 43.7% | 1979 | $742 | 19.8% | 86.1% | 10.7% |
| Kanawha County | 2.35 | 44.2 | 11.4% | 28.9% | 16.1% | 1967 | $973 | 30.8% | 91.7% | 5.6% |
| Highland County | 2.32 | 56.8 | 3.5% | 11.1% | 46.9% | 1970 | $854 | 29.9% | 89.0% | 9.9% |
| Lincoln County | 2.64 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 25.5% | 19.8% | 1983 | $808 | 9.3% | 81.9% | 5.9% |
| Staunton City | 2.17 | 41.6 | 12.0% | 39.1% | 10.0% | 1963 | $1,005 | 37.7% | 94.1% | 5.1% |
| Wayne County | 2.48 | 44.5 | 10.8% | 21.4% | 14.8% | 1975 | $1,005 | 18.8% | 87.2% | 4.9% |
| Augusta County | 2.46 | 44.5 | 9.0% | 19.8% | 7.2% | 1987 | $1,131 | 25.1% | 91.8% | 2.4% |
| Carter County | 2.39 | 42.2 | 7.3% | 20.0% | 11.5% | 1985 | $713 | 15.5% | 83.8% | 5.7% |
| Elliott County | 2.67 | 46.2 | 13.5% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 1989 | $427 | 10.0% | 80.1% | 7.4% |
| Greene County | 2.67 | 42.9 | 11.8% | 16.6% | 8.5% | 1993 | $1,284 | 31.8% | 91.2% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Burleson County, TX · Brown County, MN · Brunswick County, VA · Buchanan County, IA · Buchanan County, VA · Buckingham County, VA · Buena Vista County, IA · Bureau County, IL · Burke County, GA · Brown County, IN
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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.