Bell County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Bell County has a population of 23,509 residents and a median age of 41.7 years, making it the #1,709 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 28.8%. The median home value is $89,000, and the median household income is $31,354, which is 58% below the national median.
Demographics
Bell County has a population of 23,509, making it the #1,709 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Bell County is $31,354, ranking #3,145 out of 3,222 counties — 58.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 28.8% and unemployment stands at 10.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Bell County is $89,000 (-68.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $592/mo and the homeownership rate is 58.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Bell County, 15.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.2% below the national average, ranking #2,705 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Bell County is 67.3 years. 28.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
25.4% of adults in Bell County smoke , 44.2% are obese , and 14.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 53.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Bell County is 5.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.0 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
38.4% of children in Bell County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 41.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Bell County is 48.2%. The mean commute time is 25.0 min, which is 9.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Bell County voted Republican with a margin of 68.7%. The vote was 15.2% Dem / 83.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Bell County, Kentucky
Bell County, Kentucky has a total population of 23,509, making it the 1,709th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bell County is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Bell County is $31,354, which ranks #3,145 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 58.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 28.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 10.1%.
The median home value in Bell County is $89,000, 68.4% below the national median. Renters in Bell County pay a median gross rent of $592 per month. The homeownership rate is 58.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Bell County, 15.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.0 min.
Bell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.0%).
All data for Bell County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.