Nicholas County, KY elected officials: the fiscal court, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Nicholas County: 16 seats on 8 elected bodies. 16 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Fiscal Court
Nicholas County Fiscal Court
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Nicholas County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Nicholas County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
1
0
School districts (school boards)
1
0
Special districts (elected boards)
4
1
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Nicholas County
7,708people
40.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$59,531 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
9.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$123,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
3.5%U.S.: 8.4%
41.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
16.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1% · White 95.5% · Black 1.2% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 2.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Nicholas County
4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.4%. Kentucky: 4.5%.
150people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,300people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,450in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.3%
150
3,300
3,450
August 2026
4.1%
140
3,301
3,441
July 2026
4.9%
169
3,252
3,421
June 2026
5.7%
193
3,211
3,404
May 2026
5.0%
170
3,262
3,432
April 2026
4.1%
142
3,302
3,444
March 2026
4.5%
153
3,271
3,424
February 2026
4.3%
144
3,239
3,383
January 2026
3.9%
131
3,244
3,375
December 2025
3.3%
115
3,341
3,456
November 2025
3.5%
123
3,348
3,471
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.4%
150
3,258
3,408
August 2025
4.2%
149
3,407
3,556
July 2025
5.0%
175
3,336
3,511
June 2025
4.6%
164
3,395
3,559
May 2025
4.2%
148
3,349
3,497
April 2025
3.7%
131
3,428
3,559
March 2025
4.8%
173
3,397
3,570
February 2025
4.8%
170
3,362
3,532
January 2025
4.5%
157
3,370
3,527
December 2024
3.8%
133
3,374
3,507
November 2024
4.0%
143
3,408
3,551
October 2024
4.3%
152
3,405
3,557
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.3%
150
3,363
3,513
2024
4.6%
161
3,316
3,477
2023
4.5%
149
3,188
3,337
2022
4.3%
143
3,162
3,305
2021
4.2%
139
3,143
3,282
2020
6.9%
223
3,018
3,241
2019
4.3%
141
3,143
3,284
2018
4.6%
150
3,095
3,245
2017
5.6%
183
3,099
3,282
2016
5.8%
186
3,009
3,195
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Kentucky's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.7% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Nicholas County
25.6 per 100,0002024. Kentucky: 225.8.
153.5 per 100,0002024. Kentucky: 1,389.8.
0murders2024, 2 violent crimes in all.
2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2024
2
25.6
12
153.5
2023
3
37.8
20
251.7
2022
8
101.6
21
266.7
2021
1
13.8
17
234.1
2020
6
82.6
12
165.1
2019
2
28.0
8
112.1
2018
2
28.1
8
112.5
2017
0
0.0
15
212.3
2016
5
70.3
15
210.9
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Nicholas County Sheriff's Office
2025
0
8
5,705
Carlisle Police Department
2023
0
14
2,176
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Kentucky · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.02 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 7,870 people.
8sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
3civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Carlisle Police Department
5
2
2,165
Nicholas County Sheriff's Office
3
1
5,705
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
8
1.02
3
2
2023
6
0.76
4
2
2022
10
1.27
6
2
2021
8
1.10
5
2
2019
7
0.98
5
2
2018
5
0.70
6
2
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Nicholas County County Attorney?
Dawn Curran Letcher (Democratic) is the County Attorney of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nicholas County County Clerk?
Martha Livingood Moss (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nicholas County Coroner?
Emily P. Gaunce (Republican) is the Coroner of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nicholas County Jailer?
Darren Robinson (Democratic) is the Jailer of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nicholas County Property Valuation Administrator?
Jackie Fredrick Earlywine (Democratic) is the Property Valuation Administrator of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nicholas County Sheriff?
Jeff "Bubba" Sidles (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Nicholas County commissioners?
Steve Hamilton (County Judge/Executive); Rodney Louis Matthews (Magistrate, 1st District); Matt Hughes (Magistrate, 2nd District); Kenny Holbrook (Magistrate, 3rd District); Tommy Crawford (Magistrate, 4th District); Ross Haney (Magistrate, 5th District).
What is the population of Nicholas County?
About 7,708 people, with a median age of 40.6; the median household income is $59,531 and 17.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Nicholas County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 150 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,450, against 4.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Nicholas County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 1 school district and 4 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Kentucky State Board of Elections' official precinct recaps of each seat's last election (2022, and 2024 for some Louisville and Lexington council seats); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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