Russell County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Russell County, Kentucky had an estimated 18,458 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,991, across 254 square miles. County output reached $1.05 bn in 2024, 353 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $600,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Russell County
How many people live in Russell County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202418,221
- Households7,562
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$44,738
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$681 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$163,200
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,567
- Population under 184,212
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over3,748
- Share 65 and over20.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,261
- Civilian labor force7,832
- Unemployment rate6.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.9 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties65th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1980th of 3,222
Russell County is the 65th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 20.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Russell County
Is Russell County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202418,458
- Census 2020 base population17,991
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.60 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024150
- Births, 2024208
- Deaths, 2024269
- Natural change, 2024-61
- Net domestic migration, 2024145
- Net international migration, 202464
- Total net migration, 2024209
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024669
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents983rd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.60 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Russell County
Where are people moving to Russell County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving383
- People arriving, from those returns743
- Tax returns filed by households leaving333
- Net household movement50
- Adjusted gross income arriving$18.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$6.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$48,932
- Average income of a leaving household$38,396
- Largest single originAdair County (64 households)
- Largest single destinationAdair County (66 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 64 | 131 | $2.0 m |
| Pulaski County | 38 | 73 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $10,536 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Adair County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Russell County
What is the Russell County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.05 bn
- County GDP, 2023$987.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.6 percent
- GDP change over five years58.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes49th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1808th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$57,793
Output grew 6.6 percent in the latest year and 58.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Russell County
Employment by industry in Russell County
- Covered employment, annual average6,399
- Establishments reporting546
- Average annual pay$43,596
- Average weekly wage$838
- Manufacturing, employment1,941
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$47,783
- Health care and social assistance, employment882
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$46,702
- Retail trade, employment744
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,186
- Accommodation and food services, employment515
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$16,478
- Finance and insurance, employment153
- Other services, except public administration, employment108
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,941 | 30 | $47,783 |
| Health care and social assistance | 882 | 112 | $46,702 |
| Retail trade | 744 | 89 | $33,186 |
| Accommodation and food services | 515 | 52 | $16,478 |
| Finance and insurance | 153 | 26 | $57,442 |
| Other services, except public administration | 108 | 32 | $36,897 |
| Wholesale trade | 100 | 13 | $36,094 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 98 | 8 | $32,727 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,941 jobs, 30.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Russell County
How many businesses are in Russell County?
- Establishments, all industries353
- Employment at those establishments5,047
- Annual payroll$204.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Russell County
Building permits in Russell County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Russell County
SBA loans in Russell County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$600,000
- Average 7(a) approval$600,000
- Median 7(a) approval$600,000
- Largest single approval$600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2
- Jobs per approval2.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 504 approval$1,877,000
- Median 504 approval$1,877,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval55.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved29.3
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$2.5 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Russell County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Russell County
Do SBA loans in Russell County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Russell County
How large is Russell County?
- Land area254 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties80th of 120
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south24.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land72
- Establishments per square mile1.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Russell County
Flood risk in Russell County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Russell County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210205
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Russell County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Russell County (community 210205), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Russell County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 66.7 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Russell County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Russell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202418,221
- Households7,562
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$44,738
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Russell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Russell County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 18,458 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 18,221, in 7,562 households, ranking 65th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Russell County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.60 percent since the 2020 census base of 17,991, to 18,458 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 208 births against 269 deaths, with net migration of 209. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Russell County?
$44,738. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $163,200, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $681 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Russell County?
353 establishments, employing 5,047 people with an annual payroll of $204.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Russell County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,941 jobs, 30.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 6,399 jobs at an average annual pay of $43,596, or $838 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Russell County?
1 7(a) approvals totaling $600,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $600,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Russell County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Russell County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Russell County come from?
The largest single origin is Adair County, with 64 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,932 against $38,396 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Russell County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Russell County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Russell County
Cities and places in Russell.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Russell County. All 2 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Springs | city | 2,773 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Jamestown | city | 1,739 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby