COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Bell County

Kentucky · 30,060 residents · 359 sq mi

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Part of the Middlesborough micropolitan area

The short version

Bell County is a county of 30,060 people in Kentucky. The poverty rate is 31.1%, above the 12.4% national rate. 9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 24% national rate. Households here earn about 43% less than in Kentucky as a whole. Median home value sits at $41,700. Median household income is $19,057, under the $42,589 national median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $42,589

Mid-age

median age 37.0

US median: 35.2

Less educated

9% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 24%

More affordable

home values down 10%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $120,530

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

30,060

−5%since 1990

from 31,506 in 1990

1990 – 2025

Median age

37.0

+12%since 1990

from 33.0 in 1990

US average: 35.2

Land area

359 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202424K

Age distribution, 2000

Under 56.1%(1,826)

US avg: 6.8%

5 to 96.6%(1,979)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.3%(2,188)

US avg: 7.3%

15 to 197.2%(2,169)

US avg: 7.2%

20 to 246.2%(1,875)

US avg: 6.7%

25 to 3413.5%(4,055)

US avg: 14.2%

35 to 4415.2%(4,563)

US avg: 16%

45 to 5413.9%(4,191)

US avg: 13.4%

55 to 6410.3%(3,085)

US avg: 8.6%

65 to 747.4%(2,213)

US avg: 6.5%

75 to 844.8%(1,439)

US avg: 4.4%

85 and over1.6%(477)

US avg: 1.5%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$19,057

+11%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $13,078 in 1990

US average: $42,589

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$11,526

+64%since 1990

from $7,037 in 1990

US average: $21,522

Poverty rate

31.1%

−5.2 ptssince 1990

from 36.2% in 1990

US average: 12.4%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$41,700

−10%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $35,200 in 1990

US average: $120,530

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$309

+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $227 in 1990

US average: $602

Owner-occupied

67.6%

+1.8 ptssince 1990

from 65.8% in 1990

32.4% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990

White, non-Hispanic97.3%(30,656)

Black2.4%(761)

Hispanic / Latino0.3%(90)

Asian0.2%(52)

2000

White, non-Hispanic95.6%(28,740)

Black2.4%(720)

Hispanic / Latino0.6%(194)

Asian0.3%(101)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Central American0.3%(72)

Salvadoran0.3%(72)

South American0.1%(19)

Colombian0.1%(19)

Asian origin

Filipino0.1%(25)

Korean0.1%(13)

Thai0.1%(13)

Japanese0%(10)

Ancestry

English10.5%(2,468)

Irish9.9%(2,336)

American8.3%(1,955)

German7.6%(1,782)

Italian1.6%(374)

Scotch-Irish1.4%(325)

Scottish1%(238)

French0.7%(171)

Polish0.7%(170)

Dutch0.4%(105)

Subsaharan African0.3%(74)

Nigerian0.2%(51)

+ 12 more ancestry groups with data

Norwegian0.2%(50)

Swedish0.2%(43)

Greek0.1%(33)

Hungarian0.1%(22)

Slovak0.1%(22)

Welsh0.1%(20)

French Canadian0.1%(19)

Ukrainian0.1%(19)

Swiss0.1%(18)

British0.1%(14)

Portuguese0%(2)

Canadian0%(1)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest German population · Largest Italian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

9.0%

−0.3 ptssince 1990

from 9.3% in 1990

US average: 24.4%

High school or higher

56.6%

+9.9 ptssince 1990

from 46.7% in 1990

US average: 80.3%

Graduate degree

4.4%

+0.1 ptssince 1990

from 4.3% in 1990

US average: 8.8%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

18.3 min

−10%since 1990

from 20.3 min in 1990

US average: 17.6

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status

Men 15+

Never married22.8%(2,575)

Married63.5%(7,182)

Widowed3%(337)

Divorced10.8%(1,224)

Women 15+

Never married16.9%(2,167)

Married56.7%(7,247)

Widowed14.5%(1,860)

Divorced11.8%(1,514)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

5.3%

−15.3 ptssince 2013

from 20.6% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

35.4%

+4.7 ptssince 2020

from 30.7% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

9.2%

−0.8 ptssince 2020

from 10.0% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

25.0%

−0.3 ptssince 2020

from 25.3% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

43.6%

−5.2 ptssince 2020

from 48.8% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.7%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 1.7% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

44.5%

+5.1 ptssince 2020

from 39.4% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

62.7%

−5.3 ptssince 2020

from 68.0% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)27.5%(196)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)30.3%(216)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era36.7%(262)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4.5%(32)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II1.5%(11)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 714 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

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