The growth rate of publication for journal and patent articles discussing nanosensors are similar, with relatively limited data for the increase in recent patent publication for chemical sensors, which is consistent with the trends observed on categorization of sensors by other characteristics. Within chemical sensors, the growth rate for colorimetric, electrochemical, and aptasensors was significantly larger than other types of sensors. Aptasensors also showed significant growth in patent publications in 2020 (potentially due to their utility in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 for diagnosis of COVID infection). Aptamers can be used to bind a wide range of analytes, and their development could provide a more general platform for sensor development. Colorimetric sensors are potentially useful because their output is visible and thus may not require further equipment for the detection of an analyte, making them more portable and potentially suitable for use where resources are limited. Wearable, strain, and semiconducting sensors showed relatively high acceleration in publication growth during the last five years, while pressure sensors showed growing interest in journal publications. Nanoscale strain sensors may be potentially useful for study of material behavior and for developing more durable or even self-healing materials. The recent interest in wearable sensors may be caused by the need to obtain health data remotely or without physical contact, and the commercial possibilities for such sensors.