County profile · Kentucky
Nicholas County, KY market data
Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Nicholas County, each scored against other counties.
- Population, 2025
- 7,949
- +5.4% since 2020
- Households
- 2,776
- Median household income
- $59,531
- Median home value
- $123,000
- Jobs located here
- 779
- Market scores
- Not scored
- Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Nicholas County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Nicholas County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
An estimated 7,949 people live in Nicholas County, in 2,776 households. Population estimates show Nicholas County grew 5.4% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). The median household income in Nicholas County is $59,531 a year, 26% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
Set against the U.S., households in Nicholas County spend the most on vehicle insurance (an index of 141, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on memberships, classes and admissions (48).
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
For its number of households, Nicholas County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for sit-down restaurants (30% below the U.S. rate) and the fewest for restaurants and cafes (54% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Nicholas County
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and cafes | 14 | 50.4 | $602K | 162 | 3 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 12 | 43.2 | $703K | 106 | Under 3 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 7 | 25.2 | $369K | 242 | 3 |
| Auto repair and car care | 6 | 21.6 | $441K | 164 | Under 3 |
| Gas stations | 6 | 21.6 | $1.5M | 62 | 3 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 5 | 18.0 | $673K | 40 | Under 3 |
| Real estate | 5 | 18.0 | Index only | 166 | Under 3 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 5 | 18.0 | Index only | 132 | Under 3 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 5 | 18.0 | $408K | 192 | Under 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 14.4 | $661K | 149 | Under 3 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 4 | 14.4 | $1.1M | 120 | Under 3 |
| Funeral homes | 4 | 14.4 | $100K | 15 | Under 3 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 4 | 14.4 | $3.7M | 110 | Under 3 |
| Pet businesses | 4 | 14.4 | $488K | 56 | Under 3 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 4 | 14.4 | $646K | 36 | 3 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 3 | 10.8 | $1.4M | 111 | Under 3 |
| Grocery stores | 3 | 10.8 | $5M | 53 | Under 3 |
| Hair salons | 3 | 10.8 | $680K | 158 | Under 3 |
| Home repair trades | 3 | 10.8 | $2.1M | 88 | Under 3 |
| Pest control | 3 | 10.8 | $1.1M | 11 | Under 3 |
| Pizza | 3 | 10.8 | $2.8M | 55 | Under 3 |
| Insurance agencies | 2 | 7.2 | $3.8M | Too few | 4 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 1 | 3.6 | $2.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Convenience stores | 1 | 3.6 | $14.9M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 1 | 3.6 | $2.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Electricians | 1 | 3.6 | $6.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 1 | 3.6 | $8.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Gyms | 1 | 3.6 | $1.3M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 1 | 3.6 | $1.3M | Too few | Under 3 |
| House cleaning | 1 | 3.6 | $3.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 1 | 3.6 | $6.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 1 | 3.6 | $3.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 1 | 3.6 | $2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Roofing and gutters | 1 | 3.6 | $6.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Spas and skin care | 1 | 3.6 | $2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Barbershops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Car washes and detailing | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Child care and preschools | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Chiropractors | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Dry cleaners | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Home inspectors | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Laundromats | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Nail salons | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Pet stores | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Physical therapy | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Property management | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Tire shops | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Veterinarians | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
Household spending in Nicholas County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $2.6M | $952 | 99 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $8.9M | $3,211 | 124 |
| Food away from home | $8.4M | $3,038 | 75 |
| Groceries | $14.9M | $5,354 | 85 |
| Personal care products and services | $2M | $735 | 73 |
| Child care and other personal services | $820K | $295 | 51 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $1.3M | $470 | 48 |
| Medical and dental services | $2.6M | $931 | 72 |
| Pets | $2M | $703 | 77 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $4.2M | $1,528 | 74 |
| Vehicle insurance | $7.6M | $2,755 | 141 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $6.4M | $2,321 | 77 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $3.4M | $1,212 | 86 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $35.9M | $12,942 | 78 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in Nicholas County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 7,949+5.4% since 2020
- Households
- 2,776
- Median age
- 40.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 75%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 195 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 39
- Median household income
- $59,531
- Average household income
- $64,385
- Median home value
- $123,000
- Jobs located here
- 779
- Daytime population
- 5,514Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Nicholas County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of Nicholas County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Nearest counties in Kentucky 8
- Robertson County, KY2,283 people
- Bourbon County, KY20,240 people
- Harrison County, KY19,140 people
- Fleming County, KY15,323 people
- Bath County, KY12,851 people
- Montgomery County, KY28,395 people
- Mason County, KY16,956 people
- Clark County, KY37,192 people
Questions
How fast is Nicholas County, KY growing?
Population estimates put Nicholas County at 7,949 people in 2025, up 5.4% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 2,776 households.
How much do households in Nicholas County, KY spend?
Households in Nicholas County spend about $35.9M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $14.9M on groceries and $8.9M on gasoline and other fuels. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Nicholas County runs highest on vehicle insurance (an index of 141, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on memberships, classes and admissions (48).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Nicholas County, KY?
The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.
How does Nicholas County, KY compare with the U.S.?
Median household income in Nicholas County is $59,531, 26% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 5.4% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $123,000, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for sit-down restaurants (30% below the U.S. rate) and lowest for restaurants and cafes (54% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Nicholas County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Kentucky · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in Nicholas County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Nicholas County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.