How many people live in Bell County, KY?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 23,100 people living in Bell County, KY. That makes Bell County the 51st-most populous county in Kentucky. It is home to 0.5% of people living in the state.
23.1K
population of Bell County, KY (2024)
0.5%
County share of the Kentucky population (2024)
About 23,100 people lived in Bell County, KY in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Bell County, KY’s age demographics?
About 4,600 Bell County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 20% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.1% of Kentucky’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 5,100 Bell County residents, or 22% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22.4% of Kentucky’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Bell County, KY's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Bell County, KY’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 92.8% of the Bell County, KY population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Bell County’s Hispanic population accounts for 1.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 2.9% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Bell County, KY has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Kentucky as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Bell County, KY is Middlesborough with about 8,900 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Bell County, KY ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Middlesborough | 8,899 |
| 2. | Pineville | 1,566 |
| 3. | Balance of Bell County | 12,586 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
