Nicholas County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Nicholas County, Kentucky had an estimated 7,816 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,530, across 195 square miles. County output reached $130.6 m in 2024, 82 establishments operate here.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Nicholas County
How many people live in Nicholas County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,708
- Households2,776
- Average household size2.78
- Median household income$59,531
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$728 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$123,000
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher9.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,184
- Population under 181,879
- Share under 1824.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,299
- Share 65 and over16.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,530
- Civilian labor force3,366
- Unemployment rate6.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.7 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties109th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2672nd of 3,222
Nicholas County is the 109th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.4 percent against 16.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Nicholas County
Is Nicholas County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20247,816
- Census 2020 base population7,530
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.80 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024142
- Births, 202499
- Deaths, 202497
- Natural change, 20242
- Net domestic migration, 2024140
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024140
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024355
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents724th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.80 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Nicholas County
Where are people moving to Nicholas County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving144
- People arriving, from those returns289
- Tax returns filed by households leaving148
- Net household movement-4
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-254,000
- Average income of an arriving household$42,563
- Average income of a leaving household$43,128
- Largest single originBourbon County (48 households)
- Largest single destinationBourbon County (43 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County | 48 | 112 | $1.8 m |
| Harrison County | 20 | 37 | $641,000 |
Households arriving report $565 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Bourbon County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Nicholas County
What is the Nicholas County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$130.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$121.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.9 percent
- GDP change over five years37.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes116th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes3014th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$16,944
Output grew 7.9 percent in the latest year and 37.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Nicholas County
Employment by industry in Nicholas County
- Covered employment, annual average955
- Establishments reporting124
- Average annual pay$36,536
- Average weekly wage$703
- Health care and social assistance, employment140
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$37,921
- Manufacturing, employment132
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$38,392
- Retail trade, employment102
- Retail trade, average annual pay$23,190
- Other services, except public administration, employment30
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$37,695
- Finance and insurance, employment20
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 140 | 18 | $37,921 |
| Manufacturing | 132 | 8 | $38,392 |
| Retail trade | 102 | 18 | $23,190 |
| Other services, except public administration | 30 | 5 | $37,695 |
| Finance and insurance | 20 | 8 | $40,078 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 140 jobs, 14.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Nicholas County
How many businesses are in Nicholas County?
- Establishments, all industries82
- Employment at those establishments415
- Annual payroll$15.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents10.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Nicholas County
Building permits in Nicholas County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Nicholas County
How large is Nicholas County?
- Land area195 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties105th of 120
- Width, east to west18.8 mi
- Height, north to south18.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land40
- Establishments per square mile0.42
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Nicholas County
Flood risk in Nicholas County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Nicholas County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210181
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Nicholas County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Nicholas County (community 210181), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Nicholas County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Nicholas County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Nicholas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,708
- Households2,776
- Average household size2.78
- Median household income$59,531
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Nicholas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Nicholas County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 7,816 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 7,708, in 2,776 households, ranking 109th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Nicholas County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.80 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,530, to 7,816 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 99 births against 97 deaths, with net migration of 140. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Nicholas County?
$59,531. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,000, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $728 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Nicholas County?
82 establishments, employing 415 people with an annual payroll of $15.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Nicholas County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 140 jobs, 14.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 955 jobs at an average annual pay of $36,536, or $703 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How many building permits were issued in Nicholas County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Nicholas County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Nicholas County come from?
The largest single origin is Bourbon County, with 48 households. Arriving households report an average income of $42,563 against $43,128 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Nicholas County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Nicholas County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Nicholas County
Cities and places in Nicholas.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Nicholas County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | city | 2,214 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby