• county
  • FIPS 21181
  • Largest town: Carlisle

Nicholas County, Kentucky

Nicholas County had 7,816 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 195.3 square miles of land. It ranks 109th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 105th by land area.

Population
7,816
#109 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,589 in US
Area
195.3 sq mi
#105 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,005 in US
Density
40 / sq mi
#86 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,672 in US
Median household income
$52,978
#71 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,488 in US

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

Nicholas County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Nicholas County

Nicholas County population, land area and income

Nicholas County had 7,816 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 195.3 square miles of land. It ranks 109th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 105th by land area. That works out to 40.0 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents, so Nicholas County has 40% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $52,978 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

7,816

3144th1st

2589th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

195 sq mi

3144th1st

3005th of 3,144 (US)

Density

40.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

1672nd of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$52,978

3143rd1st

2488th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

7,816

120th1st

109th of 120 (KY)

Land area

195 sq mi

120th1st

105th of 120 (KY)

Density

40.0 / sq mi

120th1st

86th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$52,978

120th1st

71st of 120 (KY)

How Nicholas County's population changed since 2020

Nicholas County gained 276 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 3.7%. That ranks 24th 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, Nicholas County recorded 404 births and 470 deaths, a natural change of -66. Net international migration added +0 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +360. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 360 people.

7,54020207,73320217,77620227,67420237,8162024
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
404
Deaths
470
Net international migration
+0
Net domestic migration
+360
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+142

Where Nicholas County is

The Census internal point of Nicholas County is at 38.338000, -84.026200. 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 Nicholas 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: Nicholas County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
38.338000, -84.026200
DMS
38°20'16.80"N 84°01'34.32"W
UTM
16N 759915.9E 4247504.0N
Geohash
dnu4pgjzp
Plus code
86CQ8XQF+6G

Towns in Nicholas County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Nicholas County, 2,151 people together, or 28% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Nicholas County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Carlisle with 2,151.

  1. 01Carlisle2,151
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Nicholas County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Nicholas County. The most populous is Montgomery County, KY, with 28,771 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 47.2 miles WSW of Nicholas County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 31.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Paris, KY (population 10,185), 16.4 miles away.

Nicholas County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Nicholas County is 21181: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 181. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $52,978.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Nicholas County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 7,816. That is up 276 people (3.7%) from the July 2020 estimate of 7,540.

What is the FIPS code of Nicholas County?

21181. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (181) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Nicholas County?

Carlisle, with 2,151 residents inside Nicholas County in 2024.

Which counties border Nicholas County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Montgomery County, KY; Bourbon County, KY; Harrison County, KY; Fleming County, KY; Bath County, KY; Robertson 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.