Russell County, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Russell County is located in Virginia with a total population of 25,635. It is the 68th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Russell County is 46.5 years. This is 20% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Russell County is $49,020. This is 46% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 18.1%. This is 83% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $119,600. Housing costs are 67% lower than the state median of $360,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.4x, Russell County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Russell County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.8% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 1.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (96.8% vs 59.0%). The Black or African American population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 18.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 10.7%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

14.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 66% lower than the state rate of 41.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 83.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Russell County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.