Russell County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Russell County has a population of 18,221 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #1,980 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 23.1%. The median home value is $163,200, and the median household income is $44,738, which is 40% below the national median.
Demographics
Russell County has a population of 18,221, making it the #1,980 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% 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 Russell County is $44,738, ranking #2,973 out of 3,222 counties — 40.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 23.1% and unemployment stands at 6.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Russell County is $163,200 (-42.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $681/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Russell County, 15.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.3% below the national average, ranking #2,753 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Russell County is 72.1 years. 29.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
25.6% of adults in Russell County smoke , 40.0% are obese , and 14.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 25.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
25.1% of children in Russell County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 34.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Russell County is 65.8%. The mean commute time is 22.5 min, which is 18.6% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Russell County voted Republican with a margin of 72.2%. The vote was 13.5% Dem / 85.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Russell County, Kentucky
Russell County, Kentucky has a total population of 18,221, making it the 1,980th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Russell County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Russell County is $44,738, which ranks #2,973 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 40.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 23.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.4%.
The median home value in Russell County is $163,200, 42.1% below the national median. Renters in Russell County pay a median gross rent of $681 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Russell County, 15.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.5 min.
Russell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
All data for Russell 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.