Nicholas County Demographics

A map of Nicholas County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	23,372	23,525	96.3%	95.6%
Multiracial	434	712	1.8%	2.9%
Hispanic	265	173	1.1%	0.7%
Black	133	56	0.5%	0.2%
Asian	59	72	0.2%	0.3%
Native American/Other	14	66	0.1%	0.3%

Nicholas County, West Virginia has an estimated population of 24,277, a slight decrease from the 24,604 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 96.3% White, 1.8% Multiracial, 1.1% Hispanic, 0.5% Black, 0.2% Asian, and 0.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Nicholas County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Nicholas has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than West Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Nicholas County, that probability was 8.5% in 2020 and 7.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Nicholas County is ranked the 24th most populous county in West Virginia, out of 55 counties. Nicholas County was ranked the 24th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Nicholas County's White Population

23,372 residents of Nicholas County, or 96.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Nicholas County is higher than in West Virginia overall, where 89.7% of the population is White. Nicholas County ranks 9th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nicholas County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Nicholas County's population has increased from 95.6% to 96.3%.

Nicholas County is more White than neighboring Fayette County (91.4% White), Braxton County (86.5% White), Webster County (93.2% White), and Greenbrier County (91.7% White). Nicholas County is less White than neighboring Clay County (96.8% White).

Nicholas County's Black Population

133 residents of Nicholas County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Nicholas County is slightly lower than in West Virginia overall, where 3.1% of the population is Black. Nicholas County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nicholas County's Black population has grown by an estimated 137.5%. Black residents' share of Nicholas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Nicholas County is more Black than neighboring Clay County (0.1% Black), and Webster County (0.1% Black). Nicholas County is less Black than neighboring Fayette County (4.1% Black), Braxton County (0.6% Black), and Greenbrier County (2.3% Black).

Nicholas County's Asian Population

59 residents of Nicholas County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Nicholas County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Nicholas County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nicholas County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 18.1%. Asian residents' share of Nicholas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Nicholas County is more Asian than neighboring Clay County (0% Asian), Fayette County (0.1% Asian), Braxton County (0.1% Asian), and Webster County (0% Asian). Nicholas County is less Asian than neighboring Greenbrier County (0.7% Asian).

Nicholas County's Hispanic Population

265 residents of Nicholas County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Nicholas County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 2.1% of the population is Hispanic. Nicholas County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nicholas County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 53.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Nicholas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Nicholas County is more Hispanic than neighboring Clay County (0.2% Hispanic), Braxton County (0.6% Hispanic), and Webster County (0.8% Hispanic). Nicholas County is less Hispanic than neighboring Fayette County (1.4% Hispanic), and Greenbrier County (1.9% Hispanic).

Nicholas County's Native American/Other Population

14 residents of Nicholas County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Nicholas County is comparable to the share in West Virginia overall, where 0.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Nicholas County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nicholas County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 78.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Nicholas County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Nicholas County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Fayette County (0.3% Native American/Other), Braxton County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Greenbrier County (0.2% Native American/Other).

Nicholas County's Multiracial Population

434 residents of Nicholas County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Nicholas County is slightly lower than in West Virginia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Nicholas County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 55 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Nicholas County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 39.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Nicholas County's population has decreased from 2.9% to 1.8%.

Nicholas County is less Multiracial than neighboring Clay County (2.9% Multiracial), Fayette County (2.6% Multiracial), Braxton County (12.1% Multiracial), Webster County (5.8% Multiracial), and Greenbrier County (3.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.