• county
  • FIPS 21207
  • Largest town: Russell Springs

Russell County, Kentucky

Russell County had 18,458 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 253.3 square miles of land. It ranks 65th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 80th by land area.

Population
18,458
#65 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,908 in US
Area
253.3 sq mi
#80 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,900 in US
Density
73 / sq mi
#49 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,146 in US
Median household income
$47,397
#85 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,871 in US

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

Russell County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Russell County

Russell County population, land area and income

Russell County had 18,458 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 253.3 square miles of land. It ranks 65th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 80th by land area. That works out to 72.9 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, about the same as Russell County.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $47,397 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

18,458

3144th1st

1908th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

253 sq mi

3144th1st

2900th of 3,144 (US)

Density

72.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

1146th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$47,397

3143rd1st

2871st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

18,458

120th1st

65th of 120 (KY)

Land area

253 sq mi

120th1st

80th of 120 (KY)

Density

72.9 / sq mi

120th1st

49th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$47,397

120th1st

85th of 120 (KY)

How Russell County's population changed since 2020

Russell County gained 461 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.6%. That ranks 41st 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, Russell County recorded 843 births and 1,213 deaths, a natural change of -370. Net international migration added +148 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +696. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 696 people.

18.0k202018.2k202118.2k202218.3k202318.5k2024
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
843
Deaths
1,213
Net international migration
+148
Net domestic migration
+696
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+150

Where Russell County is

The Census internal point of Russell County is at 36.990600, -85.054900. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Russell 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: Russell County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
36.990600, -85.054900
DMS
36°59'26.16"N 85°03'17.64"W
UTM
16N 673097.9E 4095597.9N
Geohash
dned2tbvv
Plus code
868PXWRW+62

Towns in Russell County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Russell County, 4,691 people together, or 25% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Russell County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Russell Springs with 2,807.

  1. 01Russell Springs2,807
  2. 02Jamestown1,884
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Russell County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Russell County. The most populous is Pulaski County, KY, with 66,842 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 83.2 miles N of Russell County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lexington-Fayette, KY (population 329,437), 79.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Somerset, KY (population 12,389), 25.7 miles away.

Russell County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Russell County is 21207: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 207. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $47,397.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Russell County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 18,458. That is up 461 people (2.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 17,997.

What is the FIPS code of Russell County?

21207. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (207) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Russell County?

Russell Springs, with 2,807 residents inside Russell County in 2024.

Which counties border Russell County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Pulaski County, KY; Wayne County, KY; Adair County, KY; Casey County, KY; Clinton County, KY; Cumberland 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.