Jessamine County

Jessamine County was established in 1798 from land provided by Fayette County, which it borders on the north east. Many residents commute to work to the Lexington area. Farming dominates the landscape; the U.S. Census Bureau reports Jessamine County has a total area of 175 square miles, with nearly 129 square miles dedicated to agriculture. Nicholasville is the county seat. The county is 13 miles from Lexington and 80 miles from Louisville.

The county has an estimated population of 51,961 people. Jessamine County is the 18^th most populated of Kentucky’s 120 counties. It’s much more densely populated than the state average, with 225.7 people per square mile (the state average is 101.7). The largest Jessamine County racial/ethnic groups are White (90.4%) followed by Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.9%). Homeownership rate is estimated at 67.1%, which is slightly less than the state average (70.8%) but home values were much higher as of 2000, at $102,100 versus $86,700.

The estimated median household income of Jessamine County residents was $50,558 in 2014. About 19.1% of county residents live in poverty. The per capita income for Jessamine County in 2015 was $38,243, an 18.5 % increase from 2010, but lower than the state average of $38,588 and nationwide average of $48,112. The average weekly wage in 2013 was $663, much lower than the Kentucky average of $784 and the nationwide average of $957.

The number of people employed in the county in November 2016 was an estimated 24,313, while 790 were unemployed, a rate of 3.1%. The most common employers by percentage of the workforce are: services (27.1%); trade, transportation and utilities (23.9%) and manufacturing (16.7%). The county’s largest employers are McLane Cumberland, Alltech Inc., McKechnie Vehicle Components and R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC.

The median age for county residents is 37.4 years. Nearly a quarter of Jessamine County residents are younger than 18, and just over 10% are 65 and older. County residents are generally better educated than the state average, with 79.1% having graduated high school (74.1% statewide) and 21.5% having earned a college degree (versus 17.1% of Kentucky’s population).

The county was named for Jessamine Douglass, the daughter of a pioneer settler. Most of the early pioneers were from Virginia, who came through the mountains after the American Revolutionary War.

Nicholasville’s estimated population was 28,015 in 2010 based on U.S. Census estimates, making Nicholasville the 11^th largest city in the state. Nicholasville has rapidly grown during the 20th Century. The population increased 380% between 1970 and 2010.

The city serves as both a residential area for Lexington commuters and as an employment and shopping center for central Kentucky.

If you or a family member live in Jessamine County and want to learn more about immigration law or need help with an immigration matter, contact our office so we can talk about your situation, how immigration law may apply and what steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.

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