Russell County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Russell County, Kentucky has a population of 18,221 across 254 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.05 bn in 2024, 353 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $600,000.
108 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Russell County
How many people live in Russell County
- Population18,221
- 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-equivalents1980th
Russell County is the 65th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.60 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,991
- 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
The county has grown 2.60 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Russell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving383
- People arriving, from those returns743
- Adjusted gross income arriving$18.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,932
- Largest single originRussell County Non-migrants (5,979 households)
- Largest single destination (5,979 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County Non-migrants | 5,979 | 12,843 | $326.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 147 | 288 | $8.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 134 | 251 | $6.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 70 | 135 | $4.2 m |
| Adair County | 64 | 131 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 57 | 116 | $3.3 m |
| Pulaski County | 38 | 73 | $1.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 20 | 37 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Russell County Non-migrants, 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 the Russell County economy runs on
- 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 Kentucky counties49th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1808th
- 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
Who employs people in Russell County
- Covered employment, annual average6,399
- Establishments reporting546
- Average annual pay$43,596
- Average weekly wage$838
- Sector 31-33, employment1,941
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$47,783
- Sector 62, employment882
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,702
- Sector 44-45, employment744
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,186
- Sector 72, employment515
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,478
- Sector 52, employment153
- Sector 81, employment108
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,941 | 30 | $47,783 |
| Sector 62 | 882 | 112 | $46,702 |
| Sector 44-45 | 744 | 89 | $33,186 |
| Sector 72 | 515 | 52 | $16,478 |
| Sector 52 | 153 | 26 | $57,442 |
| Sector 81 | 108 | 32 | $36,897 |
| Sector 42 | 100 | 13 | $36,094 |
| Sector 71 | 98 | 8 | $32,727 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,941 jobs, 30.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Russell County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Russell County
What is being built in Russell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised 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
How much SBA lending happens in Russell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$600,000
- Average 7(a) approval$600,000
- Median 7(a) approval$600,000
- 10th percentile approval$600,000
- 90th percentile 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
- Leading industry by approval countOther Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (1)
- Most active lenderReadycap Lending, LLC (1)
- 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
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.5 m
The average approval of $600,000 sits close to the median of $600,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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
Do SBA loans in Russell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Russell County
How big 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population18,221
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 2.60 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Russell County?
Average annual pay is $43,596, or $838 a week, across 6,399 covered jobs. 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 totalling $600,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $600,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Russell County?
No residential units were authorised 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 Russell County Non-migrants, with 5,979 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,932 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.