Russell County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Russell County, VA 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 averageLess healthy than 79% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 95% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Russell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,530 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 53.6 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.12% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,670 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Russell County declined by 11.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,530 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Russell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.5% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,510 17.7% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,692 18.4% -4.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,005 23.5% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,743 22.5% +6.0 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 Virginia, 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 50.8% of the people living in Russell County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.2% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Russell County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Russell County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Russell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,007 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.54% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Russell County is about 47% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Russell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $37,374 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $653 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.3% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Russell County is about 4.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $653 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Russell County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 218 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Russell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.1 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.2 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 218 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,745 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,703 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 765 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Russell County is 26 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
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 | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.7% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Russell County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Russell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.1% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Russell County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Russell County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County, VA | 25,530 | $50,007 #3/3 | $37,374 #3/3 | 26.1 min #3/3 |
| Washington County, VA | 53,901 | $64,315 | $174,865 | 20.7 min |
| Sullivan County, TN | 160,624 | $59,119 | $215,151 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Russell County, Virginia.
What is the population of Russell County, Virginia?
About 25,530 people live in Russell County, Virginia, in 10,670 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 47.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Russell County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Russell County, Virginia has 54 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 62% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Russell County, Virginia?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($37,374 against $50,007), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $653 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Russell County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Russell County, Virginia is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Russell County, Virginia have a college degree?
11.7% of adults in Russell County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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