Russell County, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51167 Republican

Located in Virginia, Russell County has a population of 25,538 residents and a median age of 46.7 years, making it the #1,636 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.7%. The median home value is $120,600, and the median household income is $50,012, which is 33% below the national median.

25,538
Population
#1,636 of 3,222
$50,012
Median Income
-33.4% #2,770 of 3,222
46.7 years
Median Age
+20.1% #520 of 3,222
16.7%
Poverty Rate
+32.4% #2,246 of 3,222

Demographics

Russell County has a population of 25,538, making it the #1,636 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.7 years, which is 20.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.2%
Native Born
0.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Russell County is $50,012, ranking #2,770 out of 3,222 counties — 33.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.7% and unemployment stands at 3.6%.

Income#2,770
$50,012
-33.4%
vs nation
14th percentile
Per Capita#2,427
$29,997
-27.3%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poverty#2,246
16.7%
+32.4%
vs nation
30th percentile
Unemployment#1,067
3.6%
-31.9%
vs nation
67th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Russell County is $120,600 (-57.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $653/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.3%.

Home Value#2,661
$120,600
-57.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Rent#2,929
$653
-43.9%
vs nation
9th percentile
Homeownership#1,301
76.3%
+18.5%
vs nation
60th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Russell County, 13.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 61.2% below the national average, ranking #3,018 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.1% −61.2% vs nation
Rank #3,018 of 3,222
6th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Russell County is 73.1 years. 22.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,214
73.1
-2.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,378
22.7%
+16.0%
vs nation
24th percentile
Diabetes#2,264
12.3%
+10.5%
vs nation
28th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,016
38.9%
+4.3%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,859
6.5
+14.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,780
5.3
+18.2%
vs nation
12th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,252
8.2%
-21.9%
vs nation
60th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,156
28.7%
+8.8%
vs nation
31th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,884
19.3%
+34.0%
vs nation
8th percentile

Substance Use

22.0% of adults in Russell County smoke , 39.4% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,703
22.0%
+22.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,883
39.4%
+3.9%
vs nation
40th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,333
19.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
58th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#365
16.7
-48.2%
vs nation
83th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 15.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#901
15.9
-19.5%
vs nation
65th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,480
18.3
+2.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,773
21.6
+6.6%
vs nation
37th percentile

Families & Children

21.6% of children in Russell County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 11.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 31.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,301
11.4
+67.4%
vs nation
5th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,397
31.1
+42.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Child Poverty#2,135
21.6%
+13.7%
vs nation
32th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Russell County is 61.8%. The mean commute time is 32.7 min, which is 18.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.7 min +18.4% vs nation
Rank #511 of 3,222
84th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Russell County voted Republican with a margin of 67.5%. The vote was 16.1% Dem / 83.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +67.5%
16.1% 83.6%
Dem 13,525 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.6%
17.7% 81.3%
Dem 13,386 votes Rep
2016 REP +58.9%
19.1% 78%
Dem 12,195 votes Rep
2012 REP +37.0%
30.8% 67.8%
Dem 12,063 votes Rep
2008 REP +12.7%
42.9% 55.6%
Dem 11,494 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Russell County, Virginia

Russell County, Virginia has a total population of 25,538, making it the 1,636th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Russell County is 46.7 years, which is 20.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Russell County is $50,012, which ranks #2,770 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.6%.

The median home value in Russell County is $120,600, 57.2% below the national median. Renters in Russell County pay a median gross rent of $653 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Russell County, 13.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.7 min.

Russell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.6% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (1.1%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).

All data for Russell County, Virginia 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.