Nelson County, KY

County

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2024 Population

47,606

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.5

0.504% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

10.8%

11.7% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$69,562

2.47% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$238,000

6.2% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

23,116

3.44% 1-year growth

About

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.

98.2% of the residents in Nelson County, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Nelson County, KY was $238,000, and the homeownership rate was 78.3%.

Most people in Nelson County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.6 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.

United States Kentucky Bardstown, KY

Population & Diversity

Nelson County, KY is home to a population of 47.6k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.54% of Nelson County, KY residents were born outside of the country (1.21k people).

In 2024, there were 17.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (42.4k people) in Nelson County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.47k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 970 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.2%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.2% of Nelson County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Nelson County, KY was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
42.4k ± 90
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.47k ± 219
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
970 ± 224

2.93%

Hispanic Population

1.4k people

2.93% of the people in Nelson County, KY are hispanic (1.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Nelson County, KY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
34,091 ± 4,516 people
Cuba
20,475 ± 3,505 people
India
12,629 ± 2,755 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,091 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 20,475 and India with 12,629.

Foreign-Born Population

2.54%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.21k people

1.94%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

913 people

As of 2024, 2.54% of Nelson County, KY residents (1.21k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Nelson County, KY was 1.94%, 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
958 ± 205
Gulf War (2001-)
572 ± 186
Gulf War (1990s)
440 ± 164

Nelson County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.67 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Nelson County, KY.

Economy

The economy of Nelson County, KY employs 23.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Nelson County, KY were Manufacturing (5,104 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,130 people), and Retail Trade (2,452 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($112,159), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($84,188), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($60,441).

Employment

Occupations

23.1k

2024 Value

± 1,232

3.44%

1 Year growth

± 7.23%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Nelson County, KY grew at a rate of 3.44%, from 22.3k employees to 23.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Nelson County, KY, are Production Occupations (3,190 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,447 people), and Management Occupations (2,043 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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

23.1k

2024 Value

± 1,232

3.44%

1 Year growth

± 7.23%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Nelson County, KY grew at a rate of 3.44%, from 22.3k employees to 23.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Nelson County, KY, are Manufacturing (5,104 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,130 people), and Retail Trade (2,452 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

$51,383

Median earning men ± $3,149

$40,417

Median earning women ± $2,234

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($88,095), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,568), and Manufacturing ($59,950).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($49,457), Manufacturing ($48,441), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,781).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.51%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

91
Construction
73
Retail Trade
66
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$394k
Manufacturing
$97.1k
Construction
$81k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

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

Voting results are not available for Nelson County, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Nelson County, KY was $238,000 in 2024, which is 0.715 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $224,100 to $238,000, a 6.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Nelson County, KY is 78.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Nelson County, KY have an average commute time of 26.6 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.

In 2025, 10.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nelson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.423%.

Housing

Property

$238,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,065

$15,001

Median Property Taxes

±$900

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 $2k - $3k 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

78.3%

Homeownership

2024

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.3% of the housing units in Nelson County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 77.3%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$69,562

Median Household Income

± $2,671

19.2k

Number of Households

± 1,069

In 2024, the median household income of the 19.2k households in Nelson County, KY grew to $69,562 from the previous year's value of $67,888.

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.

0.449

2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2023, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (82.6%)
Carpooled (8.4%)
Worked At Home (6.01%)

In 2024, 82.6% of workers in Nelson County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.4%) and those who worked at home (6.01%).

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

26.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Nelson County, KY have a longer commute time (26.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.09% 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

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nelson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.423%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Nelson County, KY (5.11k out of 47.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 16.2% of the children was living in poverty in Nelson County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 108 in Nelson County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 13.3 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.9% of the population of Nelson County, KY has health coverage, with 52.1% on employee plans, 18.3% on Medicaid, 13.2% on Medicare, 10.2% on non-group plans, and 1.15% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, KY see 1,884 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,884 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1755 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 645 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,884 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Nelson County, KY

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, KY see an average of 1,884 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,884 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.5% under 18 years, 19.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.05%

Uninsured

52.1%

Employer Coverage

18.3%

Medicaid

13.2%

Medicare

10.2%

Non-Group

1.15%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Nelson County, KY declined by 0.532% from 5.08% to 5.05%.

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 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 33.9 in Nelson County, KY.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 34.4% in Nelson County, KY.

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