Russell County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Russell 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Russell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,221 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 64.4 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.37% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,562 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Russell County grew by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,221 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Russell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,500 19.2% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,286 18.0% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,994 21.9% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,721 20.4% +2.6 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 51.3% of the people living in Russell County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.7% Kentucky 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Russell County
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Economy
Russell County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Russell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,784 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.63% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Russell County is about 30% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Russell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $132,954 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $681 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Russell County is about 16.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $681 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Russell County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Russell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.4 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,061 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,700 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 427 | 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 Russell County is 16 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
Russell County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Russell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Russell County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Russell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.3 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.0% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Russell County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Russell County, Kentucky?
About 18,221 people live in Russell County, Kentucky, in 7,562 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Russell County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Russell County, Kentucky has 64 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Russell County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($132,954 against $44,784), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $681 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Russell County, Kentucky?
15.1% of adults in Russell County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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