How many people live in Nelson County, KY?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 48,700 people living in Nelson County, KY. That makes Nelson County the 21st-most populous county in Kentucky. It is home to 1.1% of people living in the state.
48.7K
population of Nelson County, KY (2024)
1.1%
County share of the Kentucky population (2024)
About 48,700 people lived in Nelson County, KY in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Nelson County, KY’s age demographics?
About 8,900 Nelson County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 18.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.1% of Kentucky’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 10,900 Nelson County residents, or 22.4% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22.4% of Kentucky’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Nelson County, KY's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Nelson County, KY’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 88.4% of the Nelson County, KY population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Nelson County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.4%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 5.3% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Nelson County, KY has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Kentucky as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Nelson County, KY is Bardstown with about 14,100 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Nelson County, KY ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bardstown | 14,104 |
| 2. | Bloomfield | 994 |
| 3. | New Haven | 829 |
| 4. | Fairfield | 135 |
| 5. | Balance of Nelson County | 32,644 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
