Bell County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bell County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Kentucky
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F
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 95% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,509 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 65.1 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.00% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,934 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bell County declined by 19.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,509 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,695 20.0% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,622 19.7% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,222 22.2% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,558 19.4% +1.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Bell County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bell County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bell County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $31,831 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.35% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bell County is about 51% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $62,209 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $591 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.8% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bell County is about 8.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $591 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bell County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,617 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,768 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 157 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Bell County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Bell County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Bell County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 31.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 33.2% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Bell County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Bell County, KY is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 23,509 residents against a local median of 32,466. The measure that sets Bell County, KY apart most is median home price: $62,209, 29% below the local median of $87,692.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $31,831 against a local median of $44,696, 29% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 29% below the local median it puts Bell County, KY at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $165,526 on median home price, so Bell County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bell County, KY has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County, KY | 23,509 | $31,831 #4/4 | $62,209 #3/4 | 17.9 min #1/4 |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | $32,074 | $87,692 | 18.3 min |
| Claiborne County, TN | 32,466 | $49,273 | $207,311 | 20.6 min |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | $44,696 | $41,786 | 20.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bell County, Kentucky.
How big is Bell County, Kentucky by population?
About 23,509 people live in Bell County, Kentucky, in 9,934 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Bell County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bell County, Kentucky has 65 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bell County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($62,209 against $31,831), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $591 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Bell County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Bell County, Kentucky is 10.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Bell County, Kentucky?
11.0% of adults in Bell County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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