Demographics of Bell County, Kentucky

Bell County, Kentucky had 22,829 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −1,152 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Bell County, in four figures

22,829
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −4.8%
Change since July 2020: −1,152 people.; 41.7 ±0.9
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $31,354 ±$3,340
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Bell County, Kentucky's population shrank 4.8% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Bell County, Kentucky's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Bell County, Kentucky's population shrank 4.8% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Bell County, Kentucky's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	23,981	100.0	100.0
2021	23,799	99.2	100.2
2022	23,527	98.1	100.7
2023	23,260	97.0	101.6
2024	23,005	95.9	102.5
2025	22,829	95.2	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of Bell County, Kentucky on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	23,981	−115	−23	0	−88
2021	23,799	−182	−152	0	−41
2022	23,527	−272	−322	−2	+63
2023	23,260	−267	−140	−2	−126
2024	23,005	−255	−213	−3	−37
2025	22,829	−176	−213	−5	+43

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 41.7 ±0.9: for men 39.1 ±1.2 and for women 43.6 ±1.4. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Bell County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Under 5	1,419 ±101	6.0% ±0.4	5.9% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	3,719 ±305	15.8% ±1.3	16.7% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,744 ±272	7.4% ±1.2	9.1% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	5,796 ±413	24.7% ±1.8	25.7% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	6,378 ±343	27.1% ±1.5	25.3% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	4,453 ±432	18.9% ±1.8	17.3% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $31,354 ±$3,340, and income per person $21,704 ±$1,673, in 2024 dollars. The median is $63,726 ±$429 in Kentucky and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in Bell County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Kentucky	United States
Under $25,000	4,020 ±498	40.4% ±4.9	19.6% ±0.3	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	2,397 ±405	24.1% ±4.0	20.4% ±0.3	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	1,518 ±310	15.3% ±3.1	17.1% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	807 ±180	8.1% ±1.8	12.8% ±0.2	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	759 ±219	7.6% ±2.2	15.9% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	241 ±115	2.4% ±1.2	7.1% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	197 ±92	2.0% ±0.9	7.2% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in Bell County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Kentucky	United States
All ages	6,553 ±782	28.8% ±3.4	16.1% ±0.3	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,504 ±313	31.0% ±5.5	20.3% ±0.4	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	3,798 ±526	32.0% ±4.0	15.4% ±0.3	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,251 ±236	20.8% ±3.6	13.4% ±0.3	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in Bell County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Bell County	Kentucky	United States
Housing units	11,631 ±24	2,023,116 ±474	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	85.5% ±2.4	89.7% ±0.3	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	14.5% ±2.4	10.3% ±0.3	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	58.8% ±3.2	68.3% ±0.4	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	41.2% ±3.3	31.7% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$89,000 ±$6,214	$205,600 ±$1,096	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$592 ±$70	$967 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1979 ±2	1982 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Bell County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Hispanic or Latino	17 to 211	0.1% to 0.9%	5.0% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	21,769 ±76	92.6% ±0.3	81.5% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	705 ±175	3.0% ±0.7	7.6% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	8 to 114	< 0.1% to 0.5%	1.6% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	1 to 53	< 0.1% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 24	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	15 to 145	0.1% to 0.6%	0.3% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	753 ±159	3.2% ±0.7	3.9% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Bell County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Born in the state	17,929 ±576	76.3% ±2.5	67.3% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	5,482 ±583	23.3% ±2.5	27.1% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	0 to 24	0% to 0.1%	0.9% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	31 to 165	0.1% to 0.7%	4.7% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	13 to 119	0.1% to 0.5%	1.9% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	0 to 72	0% to 0.3%	2.8% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Bell County among the counties of Kentucky

51st of 120 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Kentucky page.

Counties of Kentucky near Bell County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Anderson County	25,225	+5.5%
Harlan County	24,725	−7.6%
Rowan County	24,476	−1.0%
Ohio County	23,934	+0.8%
Mercer County	23,733	+4.8%
Bell County	22,829	−4.8%
Allen County	22,536	+9.5%
Johnson County	22,051	−2.6%
Breckinridge County	21,503	+5.2%
Spencer County	20,998	+7.7%
Simpson County	20,788	+5.9%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026