Russell County, Alabama
Located in Alabama, Russell County has a population of 58,811 residents and a median age of 37.5 years, making it the #908 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.2%. The median home value is $165,700, and the median household income is $51,197, which is 32% below the national median.
Demographics
Russell County has a population of 58,811, making it the #908 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below 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 Russell County is $51,197, ranking #2,709 out of 3,222 counties — 31.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.2% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Russell County is $165,700 (-41.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $939/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Russell County, 18.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 46.0% below the national average, ranking #2,324 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Russell County is 71.0 years. 26.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.3% of adults in Russell County smoke , 46.9% are obese , and 15.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Russell County is 19.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 31.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
26.7% of children in Russell County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 29.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Russell County is 49.3%. The mean commute time is 29.0 min, which is 4.9% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Russell County voted Democratic with a margin of 1.7%. The vote was 50.4% Dem / 48.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Russell County, Alabama
Russell County, Alabama has a total population of 58,811, making it the 908th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Russell County is 37.5 years, which is 3.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Russell County is $51,197, which ranks #2,709 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.
The median home value in Russell County is $165,700, 41.2% below the national median. Renters in Russell County pay a median gross rent of $939 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Russell County, 18.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.0 min.
Russell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 45.1% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (43.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.0%).
All data for Russell County, Alabama 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.