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.

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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′N 85°28′W
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	www.nelsoncountyky.com

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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.

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]

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.

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]

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.

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