Russell County, KY

County

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2024 Population

18,221

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.474% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

23.1%

1.41% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$44,738

11.4% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$163,200

10.1% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

7,327

1.72% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Russell County, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Russell County, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Russell County, KY was $163,200, and the homeownership rate was 70.8%.

Most people in Russell County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Russell County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Russell County, KY borders Adair County, KY, Casey County, KY, Clinton County, KY, Cumberland County, KY, Pulaski County, KY, and Wayne County, KY.

United States Kentucky

Population & Diversity

Russell County, KY is home to a population of 18.2k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.96% of Russell County, KY residents were born outside of the country (357 people).

In 2024, there were 55.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.7k people) in Russell County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 301 Other (Hispanic) and 257 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Russell County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Russell County, KY was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Russell County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Russell County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
16.7k ± 140
Other (Hispanic)
301 ± 182
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
257 ± 58

4.62%

Hispanic Population

842 people

4.62% of the people in Russell County, KY are hispanic (842 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Russell County, KY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
34,091 ± 4,516 people
Cuba
20,475 ± 3,505 people
India
12,629 ± 2,755 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,091 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 20,475 and India with 12,629.

Foreign-Born Population

1.96%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

357 people

1.48%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

269 people

As of 2024, 1.96% of Russell County, KY residents (357 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Russell County, KY was 1.48%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Russell County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
303 ± 112
Gulf War (1990s)
198 ± 117
Gulf War (2001-)
88 ± 61

Russell County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.53 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Russell County, KY.

Economy

The economy of Russell County, KY employs 7.33k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Russell County, KY were Manufacturing (1,550 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,168 people), and Educational Services (731 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($105,163), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,621), and Finance & Insurance ($77,888).

Employment

Occupations

7.33k

2024 Value

± 658

1.72%

1 Year growth

± 12.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Russell County, KY grew at a rate of 1.72%, from 7.2k employees to 7.33k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Russell County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (785 people), Sales & Related Occupations (703 people), and Management Occupations (691 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Russell County, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

7.33k

2024 Value

± 658

1.72%

1 Year growth

± 12.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Russell County, KY grew at a rate of 1.72%, from 7.2k employees to 7.33k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Russell County, KY, are Manufacturing (1,550 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,168 people), and Educational Services (731 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Russell County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Russell County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,375

Median earning men ± $5,041

$32,089

Median earning women ± $3,124

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($92,188), Wholesale Trade ($59,929), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,672).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,716), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($58,750), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($38,125).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Y-Axis

2.51%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

33
Retail Trade
30
Other Services (except Public Administration)
23
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$48.7k
Wholesale Trade
$45.1k
Manufacturing
$36k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Russell County, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Russell County, KY was $163,200 in 2024, which is 0.491 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $148,200 to $163,200, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Russell County, KY is 70.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Russell County, KY have an average commute time of 19.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Russell County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Russell County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.67%.

Housing

Property

$163,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,291

$5,354

Median Property Taxes

±$507

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Russell County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Russell County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.8%

Homeownership

2024

68%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.8% of the housing units in Russell County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 73.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Russell County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$44,738

Median Household Income

± $7,625

7.56k

Number of Households

± 647

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.56k households in Russell County, KY declined from $44,738 from the previous year's value of $50,520.

The following chart displays the households in Russell County, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Russell County, KY is from Kentucky.

0.449

2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2023, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.5%)
Carpooled (11.8%)
Worked At Home (5.3%)

In 2024, 80.5% of workers in Russell County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.8%) and those who worked at home (5.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Russell County, KY have a shorter commute time (19.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.6% of the workforce in Russell County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Russell County, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Russell County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Russell County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Russell County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.67%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

23.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Russell County, KY (4.12k out of 17.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Russell County, KY is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 25.1% of the children was living in poverty in Russell County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 14.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 70.4 in Russell County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 1.69 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

92.4% of the population of Russell County, KY has health coverage, with 29.4% on employee plans, 37.1% on Medicaid, 14.6% on Medicare, 10.3% on non-group plans, and 0.955% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Russell County, KY see 2,594 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,594 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3636 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 522 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,594 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Russell County, KY

Primary care physicians in Russell County, KY see an average of 2,594 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,594 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Russell County, KY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.8% under 18 years, 18% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.61%

Uninsured

29.4%

Employer Coverage

37.1%

Medicaid

14.6%

Medicare

10.3%

Non-Group

0.955%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Russell County, KY grew by 17.2% from 6.49% to 7.61%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Russell County, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 67.9 in Russell County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Russell County, KY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40% in Russell County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Russell County, KY.