Population 23,509 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Bell County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Bell County
Household size in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.21 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Bell County are small: just 2.34 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.55 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Kentucky counties have smaller households: only seven of 120.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.9 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.7 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 39.9, the median age in Bell County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has edged down from 40.6, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the west.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in seven households in Bell County (14.5%), above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Bell County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Kentucky counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bell County
Renters in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.0% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.2% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Bell County rent their homes (41.2%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 64.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 9.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Kentucky's 120 counties, only three have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.1% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.0% of the housing in Bell County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Bell County was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the north has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $393 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $480 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $549 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $624 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$231 | +$367 | +$606 |
Rent in Bell County runs $624 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $231 a month since 2006–10, up 59%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bell County
Bachelor's degrees in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.0% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Bell County: 18.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the northeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.3% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.4% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 69.5% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.3% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.0 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Bell County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 14.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Bell County has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Kentucky counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bell County
| Period | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Bell County: 9.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Few Kentucky counties have higher unemployment: only three of 120. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bell County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 2.34 | 39.9 | 14.5% | 41.2% | 14.0% | 1980 | $624 | 18.0% | 80.3% | 9.6% |
| Hancock County | 2.39 | 45.1 | 8.8% | 25.4% | 21.7% | 1984 | $619 | 11.0% | 76.9% | 7.9% |
| Lee County | 2.43 | 45.9 | 11.7% | 27.0% | 19.6% | 1977 | $769 | 16.0% | 83.0% | 8.1% |
| McCreary County | 2.53 | 40.6 | 11.8% | 25.8% | 15.0% | 1987 | $584 | 10.5% | 78.6% | 5.4% |
| Scott County | 2.28 | 47.8 | 10.5% | 23.0% | 22.0% | 1976 | $700 | 15.0% | 84.3% | 3.3% |
| Sullivan County | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 27.9% | 10.3% | 1976 | $911 | 27.3% | 90.2% | 5.2% |
| Clinton County | 2.37 | 41.6 | 9.5% | 28.9% | 19.0% | 1983 | $647 | 17.4% | 77.4% | 5.5% |
| Pickett County | 2.31 | 52.1 | 4.5% | 16.6% | 28.5% | 1990 | $647 | 19.0% | 85.1% | 6.9% |
| Bristol City | 2.38 | 45.6 | 17.7% | 36.4% | 19.3% | 1965 | $867 | 24.0% | 89.6% | 7.0% |
| Cumberland County | 2.44 | 43.5 | 9.9% | 24.5% | 22.5% | 1986 | $525 | 20.1% | 82.4% | 3.5% |
| Washington County | 2.41 | 46.6 | 8.3% | 24.2% | 13.3% | 1983 | $885 | 26.4% | 90.6% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Curry County, OR · Cassia County, ID · Osceola County, MI · Morton County, ND · Morrison County, MN · Minidoka County, ID · Coos County, NH · Lincoln County, WI · Lewis County, NY · Letcher County, KY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bell County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.