Nelson County, Kentucky

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
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°48′N85°28′W / 37.8°N 85.47°W / 37.8; -85.47
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	November 29, 1784
Named for	Thomas Nelson Jr.
Seat	Bardstown
Largest city	Bardstown
Area
• Total	424 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Land	418 sq mi (1,080 km2)
• Water	6.6 sq mi (17 km2)  1.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	46,738
• Estimate  (2023)	47,730
• Density	110/sq mi (43/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	2nd, 4th
Website	nelsoncountyky.gov

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.

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

• Spencer County (north)
• Anderson County (northeast)
• Washington County (east)
• Marion County (southeast)
• LaRue County (south)
• Hardin County (west)
• Bullitt County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	11,315		—
1800	9,866		−12.8%
1810	14,078		42.7%
1820	16,273		15.6%
1830	14,932		−8.2%
1840	13,637		−8.7%
1850	14,789		8.4%
1860	15,799		6.8%
1870	14,804		−6.3%
1880	16,609		12.2%
1890	16,417		−1.2%
1900	16,587		1.0%
1910	16,830		1.5%
1920	16,137		−4.1%
1930	16,551		2.6%
1940	18,004		8.8%
1950	19,521		8.4%
1960	22,168		13.6%
1970	23,477		5.9%
1980	27,584		17.5%
1990	29,710		7.7%
2000	37,477		26.1%
2010	43,437		15.9%
2020	46,738		7.6%
2023 (est.)	47,730	[7]	2.1%
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(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	16,052	70.24%	6,515	28.51%	285	1.25%
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%

The county voted "No" on 2022 Kentucky Amendment 2, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 51% to 49% despite backing Donald Trump with 68% of the vote to Joe Biden's 31% in the 2020 presidential election. ^[17]

Elected officials

Elected officials as of January 3, 2025 [18] [19]
U.S. House	Brett Guthrie (R)	KY2
	Thomas Massie (R)	KY4
Ky. Senate	Jimmy Higdon (R)	14
Ky. House	Candy Massaroni (R)	50

Notable residents

• William Beall; general in the Confederate Army
• J. C. W. Beckham; Governor of Kentucky
• Linda Bruckheimer; novelist and historic preservation activist
• Joseph Seamon Cotter Sr.; poet
• Henry Pierson Crowe; US Marine
• Ephraim H. Foster; Senator of Tennessee
• James B. Graham; Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts
• Benjamin E. Grey; Congressman
• Joseph Hanks; great-grandfather of US President Abraham Lincoln
• Ben Johnson (politician); lawyer and congressman
• Silvester Johnson; merchant
• Monique Jones; professional bodybuilder
• Virgil Livers; football cornerback
• James Love (Kentucky politician); congressman
• Joseph N. McCormack; surgeon
• Thomas Merton; monk
• Zachariah Montgomery; lawyer and politician
• Charles S. Morehead; congressman and governor of Kentucky
• Felix Newton Pitt; monsignor
• Daniel Rudd; catholic journalist and civil rights leader
• Catherine Spalding; religious leader
• Horace Speed; pioneer and district attorney
• Stith Thompson; scholar of folklore
• Bryan Young (politician); congressman
• William Singleton Young; congressman

Communities

Cities

• Bardstown (county seat)
• Bloomfield
• Fairfield
• New Haven

Census-designated places

• Boston
• Chaplin
• New Hope

Other unincorporated places

• Balltown
• Bellwood
• Cedar Creek
• Coxs Creek
• Culvertown
• Deatsville
• Gethsemane
• Greenbrier
• Highgrove
• Howardstown
• Icetown
• Lenore
• Nazareth
• Samuels
• Saint Thomas
• Trappist
• Woodlawn

See also

• Kentucky portal

• Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Nelson County, Kentucky
• Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Nelson County". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. 2000. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
4. Collins, Lewis (1882). Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2. Collins & Company. p. 26. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
5. The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 36. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
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, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. 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. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. 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. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. 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 Archived July 26, 2022, at the Wayback Machine – 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. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
17. "November 8, 2022 - Official 2022 General Election Results" (PDF). Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
18. "Senate Members - County". apps.legislature.ky.gov. Kentucky General Assembly . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
19. "House Members - County". apps.legislature.ky.gov. Kentucky General Assembly . Retrieved January 3, 2025.

Further reading

• Davis, William C., ed. (1990). Diary of a Confederate Soldier: John S. Jackman of the Orphan Brigade . American Military History. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. pp.  12–17, 169. ISBN   0-87249-695-3. LCCN   90012431. OCLC   906557161.

External links

Government

• Official website

General information

• Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce
• Geographic data related to Nelson County, Kentucky at OpenStreetMap
• Nelson County Public Library

37°48′N85°28′W / 37.80°N 85.47°W / 37.80; -85.47