• county
  • FIPS 21013
  • Largest town: Middlesborough

Bell County, Kentucky

Bell County had 23,051 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 359.0 square miles of land. It ranks 51st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 42nd by land area.

Population
23,051
#51 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,681 in US
Area
359.0 sq mi
#42 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,658 in US
Density
64 / sq mi
#56 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,249 in US
Median household income
$35,566
#118 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,127 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Bell County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Bell County

Bell County population, land area and income

Bell County had 23,051 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 359.0 square miles of land. It ranks 51st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 42nd by land area. That works out to 64.2 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents; Bell County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $35,566 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

23,051

3144th1st

1681st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

359 sq mi

3144th1st

2658th of 3,144 (US)

Density

64.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

1249th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$35,566

3143rd1st

3127th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

23,051

120th1st

51st of 120 (KY)

Land area

359 sq mi

120th1st

42nd of 120 (KY)

Density

64.2 / sq mi

120th1st

56th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$35,566

120th1st

118th of 120 (KY)

How Bell County's population changed since 2020

Bell County lost 931 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.9%. That ranks 111th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Bell County recorded 1,167 births and 1,976 deaths, a natural change of -809. Net international migration added -6 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -227. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 809 people.

24.0k202023.8k202123.5k202223.2k202323.1k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,167
Deaths
1,976
Net international migration
-6
Net domestic migration
-227
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-157

Where Bell County is

The Census internal point of Bell County is at 36.728900, -83.680700. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Bell County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Bell County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
36.728900, -83.680700
DMS
36°43'44.04"N 83°40'50.52"W
UTM
17N 260612.7E 4068149.5N
Geohash
dns2zy396
Plus code
868RP8H9+HP

Towns in Bell County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Bell County, 10,465 people together, or 45% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Bell County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Middlesborough with 8,899.

  1. 01Middlesborough8,899
  2. 02Pineville1,566
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Bell County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Bell County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Whitley County, KY, with 37,233 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 120.2 miles NNW of Bell County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Knoxville, TN (population 198,722), 54.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Morristown, TN (population 32,994), 41.9 miles away.

Bell County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Bell County is 21013: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 013. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $35,566.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Bell County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 23,051. That is down 931 people (3.9%) from the July 2020 estimate of 23,982.

What is the FIPS code of Bell County?

21013. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (013) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Bell County?

Middlesborough, with 8,899 residents inside Bell County in 2024.

Which counties border Bell County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Whitley County, KY; Claiborne County, TN; Knox County, KY; Harlan County, KY; Lee County, VA; Clay County, KY; Leslie County, KY.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.