Russell County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Russell County, Virginia has a population of 25,538 across 474 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $903.7 m in 2024, 436 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m.
102 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Russell County
How many people live in Russell County
- Population25,538
- Households10,669
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$50,012
- Median age46.7
- Median gross rent$653 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$120,600
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over18,954
- Population under 184,817
- Share under 1818.9 percent
- Population 65 and over6,033
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6414,688
- Civilian labor force9,547
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over46.1 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties70th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1636th
Russell County is the 70th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.6 percent against 18.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
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 base-1.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population25,781
- Births, 2024253
- Deaths, 2024375
- Natural change, 2024-122
- Net domestic migration, 202436
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 202439
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024317
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2327th
The county has lost 1.40 percent of its population 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 arriving411
- People arriving, from those returns827
- Adjusted gross income arriving$17.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$42,455
- Largest single originRussell County Non-migrants (7,972 households)
- Largest single destination (7,972 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County Non-migrants | 7,972 | 17,091 | $446.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 116 | 217 | $4.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 94 | 168 | $3.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 73 | 151 | $3.2 m |
| Tazewell County | 70 | 155 | $2.7 m |
| Washington County | 54 | 102 | $2.7 m |
| Buchanan County | 39 | 77 | $2.4 m |
| Wise County | 31 | 81 | $1.2 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$903.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$869.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years24.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties70th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1926th
- GDP per resident$35,388
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 24.6 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 average6,150
- Establishments reporting565
- Average annual pay$48,286
- Average weekly wage$929
- Sector 44-45, employment736
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,654
- Sector 23, employment516
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,613
- Sector 31-33, employment451
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$47,357
- Sector 54, employment404
- Sector 54, average annual pay$71,396
- Sector 21, employment230
- Sector 52, employment170
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 736 | 61 | $32,654 |
| Sector 23 | 516 | 42 | $59,613 |
| Sector 31-33 | 451 | 10 | $47,357 |
| Sector 54 | 404 | 32 | $71,396 |
| Sector 21 | 230 | 9 | $75,150 |
| Sector 52 | 170 | 30 | $58,346 |
| Sector 81 | 170 | 47 | $48,050 |
| Sector 48-49 | 147 | 39 | $47,883 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 736 jobs, 12.0 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 industries436
- Employment at those establishments5,324
- Annual payroll$230.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
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, 202435
- Declared construction value permitted$7.0 m
- Single family units authorised15
- Multifamily units authorised20
- Multifamily share of units57.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,154
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.3
Multifamily is 57.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Russell County
How much SBA lending happens in Russell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$822,750
- Median 7(a) approval$1,142,000
- 10th percentile approval$348,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,450,000
- Largest single approval$1,450,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)38
- Jobs per approval9.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (2)
The average approval of $822,750 sits close to the median of $1,142,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 50.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 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 recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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 area474 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties31st of 133
- Width, east to west34.6 mi
- Height, north to south29.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile0.92
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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.
- Population25,538
- Households10,669
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$50,012
- Median age46.7
Common questions
Russell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Russell County, Virginia?
25,538, in 10,669 households, ranking 70th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Russell County growing?
The population has fallen 1.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 253 births against 375 deaths, with net migration of 39. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Russell County?
$50,012. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $120,600, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $653 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Russell County?
436 establishments, employing 5,324 people with an annual payroll of $230.1 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 $48,286, or $929 a week, across 6,150 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?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $1,142,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Russell County?
35 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.0 m. Multifamily was 57.1 percent of units. 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 7,972 households. Arriving households report an average income of $42,455 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.