• county
  • FIPS 21179
  • Largest town: Bardstown

Nelson County, Kentucky

Nelson County had 48,706 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 418.7 square miles of land. It ranks 21st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 28th by land area.

Population
48,706
#21 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,027 in US
Area
418.7 sq mi
#28 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,419 in US
Density
116 / sq mi
#24 of 120 in Kentucky · #814 in US
Median household income
$65,928
#24 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,304 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Nelson County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Nelson County

Nelson County population, land area and income

Nelson County had 48,706 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 418.7 square miles of land. It ranks 21st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 28th by land area. That works out to 116.3 people per square mile, 1.2 times the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents, so Nelson County is 2.5 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $65,928 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

48,706

3144th1st

1027th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

419 sq mi

3144th1st

2419th of 3,144 (US)

Density

116.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

814th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$65,928

3143rd1st

1304th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

48,706

120th1st

21st of 120 (KY)

Land area

419 sq mi

120th1st

28th of 120 (KY)

Density

116.3 / sq mi

120th1st

24th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$65,928

120th1st

24th of 120 (KY)

How Nelson County's population changed since 2020

Nelson County gained 1,927 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 4.1%. That ranks 16th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Nelson County recorded 2,297 births and 2,340 deaths, a natural change of -43. Net international migration added +547 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,449. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,449 people.

46.8k202047.1k202147.4k202248.0k202348.7k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
2,297
Deaths
2,340
Net international migration
+547
Net domestic migration
+1,449
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+725

Where Nelson County is

The Census internal point of Nelson County is at 37.803100, -85.465900. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Nelson County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Nelson County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.803100, -85.465900
DMS
37°48'11.16"N 85°27'57.24"W
UTM
16N 635053.3E 4185077.3N
Geohash
dnepp1veh
Plus code
869PRG3M+6J

Towns in Nelson County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Nelson County, 14,104 people together, or 29% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Nelson County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Bardstown with 14,104.

  1. 01Bardstown14,104
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Nelson County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Nelson County. The most populous is Hardin County, KY, with 112,826 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 41.7 miles NE of Nelson County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Louisville/Jefferson County, KY (population 640,796), 26.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Bardstown, KY (population 14,104), 1.2 miles away.

Nelson County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Nelson County is 21179: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 179. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $65,928.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Nelson County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 48,706. That is up 1,927 people (4.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 46,779.

What is the FIPS code of Nelson County?

21179. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (179) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Nelson County?

Bardstown, with 14,104 residents inside Nelson County in 2024.

Which counties border Nelson County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Hardin County, KY; Bullitt County, KY; Anderson County, KY; Spencer County, KY; Marion County, KY; Larue County, KY; Washington County, KY.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.