Nelson County, Kentucky

Nelson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,065.[1] Its county seat is Bardstown.[2] Nelson County comprises the Bardstown, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Louisville/Jefferson County-Elizabethtown-Madison, KY-IN Combined Statistical Area.

This article is about the Kentucky county formed in 1784 as Nelson County, Virginia. For the Virginia county of the same name formed in 1807, see Nelson County, Virginia.

Nelson County
County
Nelson County Courthouse in Bardstown
Nelson County Courthouse in Bardstown
Map of Kentucky highlighting Nelson County
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Map of the United States highlighting Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°48′N 85°28′W
Country United States
State Kentucky
FoundedNovember 29, 1784
Named forThomas Nelson Jr.
SeatBardstown
Largest cityBardstown
Area
 • Total424 sq mi (1,100 km2)
 • Land418 sq mi (1,080 km2)
 • Water6.6 sq mi (17 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total46,738
 • Estimate 
(2022)
47,392 Increase
 • Density110/sq mi (43/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 4th
Websitewww.nelsoncountyky.com

History

The fourth county created in what is now Kentucky, it was formed from Jefferson County, Kentucky in 1784, shortly after the Revolutionary War.[3][4] The county was named for Thomas Nelson Jr., the Virginia Governor who signed the Declaration of Independence.[5] In 1807, after Kentucky had become a state, a newly created Virginia county was named in his honor.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 424 square miles (1,100 km2), of which 418 square miles (1,080 km2) are land and 6.6 square miles (17 km2) (1.5%) are covered by water.[6]

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179011,315—
18009,866−12.8%
181014,07842.7%
182016,27315.6%
183014,932−8.2%
184013,637−8.7%
185014,7898.4%
186015,7996.8%
187014,804−6.3%
188016,60912.2%
189016,417−1.2%
190016,5871.0%
191016,8301.5%
192016,137−4.1%
193016,5512.6%
194018,0048.8%
195019,5218.4%
196022,16813.6%
197023,4775.9%
198027,58417.5%
199029,7107.7%
200037,47726.1%
201043,43715.9%
202046,7387.6%
2022 (est.)47,392[7]1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census[12] of 2010, 43,437 people inhabited the county.[13] The population density was 102.4 per square mile (39.5/km2). Its 18,075 housing units averaged 42.6 per square mile (16.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.48% White (90.93% non-Hispanic), 5.03% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. About 2.04% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 16,826 households, 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.09% were married couples living together, 13.19% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.35% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.37% were not families. Of all households, 24.41% were made up of individuals, and 8.09% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01.

The age distribution was 25.98% under 18, 7.98% from 18 to 24, 26.47% from 25 to 44, 27.84% from 45 to 64, and 11.73% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

Income data for Kentucky locations from the 2010 Census have not yet been released. As of the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $39,010, and for a family was $44,600. Males had a median income of $32,015 versus $21,838 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,120. About 10.00% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions and events

Many attractions and events are available in Bardstown. The following is outside the county seat:

  • Rooster Run was a general store located on Kentucky Route 245 halfway between Bardstown and Clermont, well known for baseball caps featuring its logo and a 13.5-foot-tall (4.1 m) fiberglass rooster statue standing in front of the store. According to The Kentucky Encyclopedia, it is "one of the best-known general stores in the country and one of Kentucky's best-known unincorporated businesses".[14]

Education

Two public school districts operate in the county:[15]

  • The Nelson County School District serves K–12 students throughout the county, with the exception of most of the city of Bardstown and developed areas near the city limits. The district operates two K–8 schools, two elementary schools, two middle schools, an alternative school, a vocational-technical school, and two high schools.
  • The Bardstown City Schools serve students in most of the city of Bardstown, as well as much of the developed area immediately adjacent to the city limits. However, some areas of the city are instead served by the Nelson County district, and some of the Nelson County schools are physically within the Bardstown district. The district operates a preschool, an ungraded primary school (K–2), one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. The preschool and primary school occupy separate buildings on adjacent plots of land in the north of the city, and the other schools are adjacent to one another near downtown.

Several private schools also operate in the county. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville operates five schools in all—three K–8 schools, a fourth that educates grades 1 through 8, and one high school. Several Protestant-affiliated schools also exist.

Politics
United States presidential election results for Nelson County, Kentucky[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 15,703 67.52% 7,188 30.91% 365 1.57%
2016 13,431 64.57% 6,434 30.93% 937 4.50%
2012 10,673 57.59% 7,611 41.07% 249 1.34%
2008 10,139 55.87% 7,654 42.18% 353 1.95%
2004 10,161 60.32% 6,524 38.73% 159 0.94%
2000 7,714 57.19% 5,481 40.64% 293 2.17%
1996 4,645 41.63% 5,392 48.32% 1,122 10.05%
1992 4,495 38.51% 5,437 46.58% 1,740 14.91%
1988 5,283 51.90% 4,788 47.04% 108 1.06%
1984 6,044 58.57% 4,199 40.69% 76 0.74%
1980 3,349 36.75% 5,514 60.50% 251 2.75%
1976 2,804 37.37% 4,454 59.36% 246 3.28%
1972 3,495 53.54% 2,828 43.32% 205 3.14%
1968 2,373 34.31% 3,420 49.45% 1,123 16.24%
1964 1,683 23.07% 5,586 76.56% 27 0.37%
1960 3,021 39.06% 4,713 60.94% 0 0.00%
1956 4,107 55.76% 3,240 43.99% 18 0.24%
1952 3,064 47.18% 3,417 52.62% 13 0.20%
1948 1,715 31.75% 3,556 65.84% 130 2.41%
1944 2,136 36.76% 3,648 62.78% 27 0.46%
1940 2,109 33.42% 4,193 66.45% 8 0.13%
1936 1,913 30.09% 4,234 66.59% 211 3.32%
1932 2,100 28.37% 5,272 71.23% 29 0.39%
1928 2,926 42.04% 4,031 57.92% 3 0.04%
1924 2,082 34.56% 3,863 64.13% 79 1.31%
1920 2,945 36.66% 5,061 63.00% 27 0.34%
1916 1,546 36.64% 2,639 62.54% 35 0.83%
1912 751 19.85% 2,275 60.12% 758 20.03%

Notable residents

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated places

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Nelson County". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. 2000. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  4. Collins, Lewis (1882). Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2. Collins & Company. p. 26.
  5. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 36.
  6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. "2010 Demographic Profile Data: Nelson County, Kentucky". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  14. Delong, Hettie (1992). "Rooster Run". In Kleber, John E. (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Associate editors: Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  15. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Nelson County, KY" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022. - Text list - For more detailed boundaries of the independent school districts see: "Appendix B: Maps Of Independent School Districts In Operation In FY 2014-FY 2015 Using 2005 Tax District Boundaries – Bardstown ISD" (PDF). Research Report No. 415 – Kentucky's Independent School Districts: A Primer. Frankfort, KY: Office of Education Accountability, Legislative Research Commission. September 15, 2015. p. 90 (PDF p. 104/174). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 10, 2020.
  16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 5, 2018.

Further reading
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37.80°N 85.47°W / 37.80; -85.47

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