Nelson County, KY

County

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2020 Population

45,915

0.581% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2020 Median Age

39.9

0.251% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

7.74%

16% 1-year decrease

2020 Median Household Income

$63,032

4.83% 1-year growth

2020 Median Property Value

$164,200

6.14% 1-year growth

About

In 2020, Nelson County, KY had a population of 45.9k people with a median age of 39.9 and a median household income of $63,032. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Nelson County, KY grew from 45,650 to 45,915, a 0.581% increase and its median household income grew from $60,127 to $63,032, a 4.83% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Nelson County, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.11%), White (Hispanic) (1.79%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.63%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.584%).

None of the households in Nelson County, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.6% of the residents in Nelson County, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2020, the median property value in Nelson County, KY was $164,200, and the homeownership rate was 78.1%.

Most people in Nelson County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Nelson County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Nelson County, KY borders Anderson County, KY, Bullitt County, KY, Hardin County, KY, Larue County, KY, Marion County, KY, Spencer County, KY, and Washington County, KY.

Population & Diversity

Nelson County, KY is home to a population of 45.9k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2020, 1.19% of Nelson County, KY residents were born outside of the country (546 people).

In 2020, there were 17.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (41.5k people) in Nelson County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.35k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 821 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99.6%

2020 Citizenship

99.4%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 99.6% of Nelson County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Nelson County, KY was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Nelson County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Nelson County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
41.5k ± 37
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.35k ± 210
White (Hispanic)
821 ± 91

2.23%

Hispanic Population

1.02k people

2.23% of the people in Nelson County, KY are hispanic (1.02k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Nelson County, KY as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

1.19%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

546 people

1.05%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

478 people

As of 2020, 1.19% of Nelson County, KY residents (546 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Nelson County, KY was 1.05%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Nelson County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,250 ± 225
Gulf War (1990s)
562 ± 189
Gulf War (2001-)
472 ± 174

Nelson County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.22 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Nelson County, KY employs 22.1k people. The largest industries in Nelson County, KY are Manufacturing (5,305 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,988 people), and Retail Trade (2,220 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($70,268), Utilities ($63,214), and Educational Services ($50,906).

Employment

Occupations

22.1k

2020 Value

± 1,129

1.85%

1 Year growth

± 6.92%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Nelson County, KY grew at a rate of 1.85%, from 21.7k employees to 22.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Nelson County, KY, are Production Occupations (3,040 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,432 people), and Management Occupations (1,947 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Nelson County, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

22.1k

2020 Value

± 1,129

1.85%

1 Year growth

± 6.92%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Nelson County, KY grew at a rate of 1.85%, from 21.7k employees to 22.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Nelson County, KY, are Manufacturing (5,305 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,988 people), and Retail Trade (2,220 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Nelson County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Nelson County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,863

Median earning men ± $3,139

$32,017

Median earning women ± $1,646

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,083), Information ($62,386), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($58,007).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Construction ($40,865), Manufacturing ($40,722), and Wholesale Trade ($36,713).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

379
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
265
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
251
Manufacturing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Kentucky product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $57B, followed by Electronics ($34.7B) and Machinery ($31.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Kentucky products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Kentucky.

$326B

2020 Value in Kentucky

$644B

Projected 2050 Value in Kentucky

97.4% growth

In 2020, total outbound Kentucky trade was $326B. This is expected to increase 97.4% to $644B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Kentucky trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Most Common Trade Partners

Tennessee
$24.4B
Ohio
$18.8B
California
$17.9B

In 2020, the top outbound Kentucky domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Tennessee with $24.4B, followed by Ohio with $18.8B and California and $17.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Kentucky shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Nelson County, KY went to Donald J. Trump with 67.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (30.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.15%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (67.6%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (30.9%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.15%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Nelson County, KY for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senators Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives Elections

US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Measure

In 2020, 0.764% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.662% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2020 were High School or Equivalent (1.15M), Some college (792k), and Secondary Education (572k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Nelson County, KY was $164,200 in 2020, which is 0.715 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $154,700 to $164,200, a 6.14% increase. The homeownership rate in Nelson County, KY is 78.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in Nelson County, KY have an average commute time of 25.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Nelson County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Nelson County, KY is $63,032. In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Nelson County, KY was Census Tract 9305 with a value of $72,399, followed by Census Tract 9306 and Census Tract 9303.01, with respective values of $72,009 and $69,867.

Property

$164,200

Median Property Value 2020

±$4,756

$14,043

Median Property Taxes

±$840

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Nelson County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Nelson County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

78.1%

Homeownership

2020

67%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 78.1% of the housing units in Nelson County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 76%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Nelson County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9305
Census Tract 9306
Census Tract 9303.01

In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Nelson County, KY was Census Tract 9305 with a value of $72,399, followed by Census Tract 9306 and Census Tract 9303.01, with respective values of $72,009 and $69,867.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Nelson County, KY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$63,032

Median Household Income

± $3,482

18k

Number of Households

± 993

In 2020, the median household income of the 18k households in Nelson County, KY grew to $63,032 from the previous year's value of $60,127.

The following chart displays the households in Nelson County, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Nelson County, KY is from Kentucky.

0.454

2020 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.456

2019 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2020, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.305% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2020

Drove Alone (85.1%)
Carpooled (7.76%)
Worked At Home (4.42%)

In 2020, 85.1% of workers in Nelson County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.76%) and those who worked at home (4.42%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Nelson County, KY have a shorter commute time (25.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 1.19% of the workforce in Nelson County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Nelson County, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Nelson County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Nelson County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

7.74% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Nelson County, KY (3.52k out of 45.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Nelson County, KY is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.7% of the population of Nelson County, KY has health coverage, with 53.8% on employee plans, 13.7% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 13.4% on non-group plans, and 2.18% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Kentucky was $8,004 in 2014. This is a 6.11% increase from the previous year ($7,543).

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, KY see 1994 patients per year on average, which represents a 8.24% decrease from the previous year (2173 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1778 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 670 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Kentucky. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Kentucky, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,994 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Nelson County, KY

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, KY see an average of 1,994 patients per year. This represents a 8.24% decrease from the previous year (2,173 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Nelson County, KY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Kentucky across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 19.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.33%

Uninsured

53.8%

Employer Coverage

13.7%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

13.4%

Non-Group

2.18%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Nelson County, KY grew by 19.8% from 4.45% to 5.33%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Nelson County, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2021, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 48.1 in Nelson County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Nelson County, KY.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2021, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.8% in Nelson County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Nelson County, KY.

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