Nelson County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Nelson County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 47,606. It is the 22nd most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Nelson County is 39.5 years. This is 1% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Nelson County is $69,562. This is 9% higher than the state median of $63,726. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.8%. This is 32% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 3.3%. This is 32% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $238,000. Housing costs are 16% higher than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 78.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Nelson County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.1% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 5.2%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

23.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 14% lower than the state rate of 27.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Nelson County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Kentucky and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.