Russell, Kentucky

Population

Down 2.9% since 2020.

3,628

people, the 97th-largest of Kentucky's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Kentucky's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

9 in 10 jobs here go to people who live somewhere else.

93.5%

of 1,930 jobs located in Russell are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 13% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$743

a month. Kentucky's median is $967.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent jumps $306.

A $306 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Greenup County.

• $644 Tract 406
• $950 Tract 407

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

Local wages can carry more rent than the median charged today.

$878–$1,317

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $743 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

Most of the housing here is older than 2000.

• 4 homes permitted, 2022–2025
• 0% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 97% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2022–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.1–1.2% to the 1,602 homes here.

2–19

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 3% more than Kentucky's.

$211,900

median home value in Russell.

• $211,900 Russell
• $205,600 Kentucky
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year