County profile

Russell County

Virginia · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
25,538
Median household income
$50,012
People below poverty
16.7%
Median home value
$120,600

Income

The median income of households in Russell County, Virginia was $50,012. An estimated 5.5% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 4.3% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 5.5
$10,000 to $14,999 5.3
$15,000 to $24,999 14.9
$25,000 to $34,999 10.3
$35,000 to $49,999 14
$50,000 to $74,999 16.3
$75,000 to $99,999 12.3
$100,000 to $149,999 12.4
$150,000 to $199,999 4.8
$200,000 or more 4.3

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 54472
Female 45544

An estimated 58% of households received earnings. An estimated 50.8% of households received Social Security and an estimated 32.1 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $22,922. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 58
Social Security 50.8
Retirement income 32.1
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 9.2
Cash public assistance income 2.1

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 16.7 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 16.5% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 13.9% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 17.9% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 16.7
Children under 18 years below poverty 16.5
People 65 years old and over below poverty 13.9
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 17.9

In 2020-2024, 21.8 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 46.2% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 42.8% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 27.3% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024, 95.3% had health insurance coverage and 4.7% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 50.6% and public coverage was 56.5%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 2.9%.


In 2020-2024, Russell County, Virginia had a total population of 25,538 - 12,907 (50.5%) females and 12,631 (49.5%) males. The median age was 46.7 years. An estimated 18.9% of the population was under 18 years, 27.4% was 19 to 44 years, 28.4% was 45 to 64 years, and 23.6 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 635 596
5 to 9 563 602
10 to 14 786 710
15 to 19 717 633
20 to 24 709 633
25 to 29 717 656
30 to 34 694 703
35 to 39 566 557
40 to 44 890 872
45 to 49 814 787
50 to 54 865 879
55 to 59 897 893
60 to 64 1006 1125
65 to 69 1221 1151
70 to 74 504 689
75 to 79 413 838
80 to 84 342 342
85 and over 292 241

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 96.8% were White; 1.1% were Black or African American; 18.8% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.1% were Asian; 0.3% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 1.4% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 0.7% of the people in Russell County, Virginia were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 96.6% of the people in Russell County, Virginia were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 10,669 households in Russell County, Virginia. The average household size was 2.36 people.

Married-couple households made up 49.9% of the households in Russell County, Virginia while cohabiting couple households made up 5.1% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.3% of all households, while 18.7% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 14.7% of households were male householders living alone, and 15.5% were female householders living alone, for a total of 30.2% of all households.

In Russell County, Virginia, 25.3% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 42.6% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 49.9
Cohabiting Couples 5.1
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
18.7
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.3

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 54.1% of males and 50.5% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 24.5 18.7
Now married, except separated 54.1 50.5
Separated 1 2.8
Widowed 5 16
Divorced 15.4 12.1

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Russell County, Virginia, 484 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 55.4% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 99.2% of the people living in Russell County, Virginia were U.S. natives. 75.9% of the Russell County, Virginia population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 0.8% of Russell County, Virginia residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 39.9% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 63.1 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Russell County, Virginia come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Russell County, Virginia.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 13.6
Asia 15.2
Europe 31.8
Africa 1.5
Northern America 37.9
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024, 0.8 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 0.4% of people at least five years old; 0.1% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 0.4
Other Indo-European languages 0.2
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.1
Other languages 0.1

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 95.2 % of the people at least one year old living in Russell County, Virginia were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 95.2
Different house, same county 1.9
Different county, same state 1.4
Different state 1.5
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 82.8 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 13.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 17.2% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Russell County, Virginia was 2,855 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 133 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 2,154. College or graduate school enrollment was 568.

Educational Attainment of People in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 17.2
High school diploma or equivalency 39.6
Some college, no degree 18.6
Associate's degree 11.5
Bachelor's degree 8.8
Graduate or professional degree 4.3

Disability

In Russell County, Virginia, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 31.6 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 8.3% of people under 18 years old, to 29.7% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 55% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Russell County, Virginia, 43.4 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 54.9% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 78.6% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 16.8% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 4.3 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 7,237 78.6
Federal, state, or local government workers 1,550 16.8
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 396 4.3

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Russell County, Virginia worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 6.6
Construction 8.7
Manufacturing 10.2
Wholesale trade 0.2
Retail trade 14.3
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 7.7
Information 1.5
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 3
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 8
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 24.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 5.2
Other Services, except public administration 4.2
Public administration 6.2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 2,735 29.7
Service occupations 1,593 17.3
Sales and office occupations 1,832 19.9
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1,461 15.9
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 1,581 17.2

Commuting to Work

An estimated 79.5% of Russell County, Virginia workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 14.1% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 30 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 79.5
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 14.1
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0
Walked 1.3
Other means 0.2
Worked from home 4.9

In 2020-2024, Russell County, Virginia had a total of 12,761 housing units. Of these housing units, 72.3% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 6.3% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 21.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 72.3
Apartments in multi-unit structures 6.3
Mobile homes 21.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

6.5% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 7.8% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Russell County, Virginia was 6 rooms, and of these housing units 66.5% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Russell County, Virginia had 10,669 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 2,092 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 76.3% while renters occupied 23.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.34 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.4.

2.4% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 22% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 5.2% and another 23.9% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Russell County, Virginia:

House Heating Fuel Used in Russell County, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 4
Electricity 89.4
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 2.8
All other fuels 3.4
No fuel used 0.3

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Russell County, Virginia was $120,600.

Of the owner-occupied households, 38.4 % had a mortgage. 61.6% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,065 and for owners without a mortgage it was $347.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Russell County, Virginia was $653. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.