| Bell County, Kentucky | |
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Bell County Courthouse in Pineville, Kentucky
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Location in the state of Kentucky |
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Kentucky's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1867 |
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| Named for | Joshua Fry Bell, Kentucky legislator (1862–1867). |
| Seat | Pineville |
| Largest city | Middlesborough |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
361.35 sq mi (936 km²) 360.77 sq mi (934 km²) 0.58 sq mi (2 km²), 0.16% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
28,691 83/sq mi (32/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.bellcountychamber.com |
Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed August 1, 1867, from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties[1] and augmented from Knox County in 1872.[2] As of 2010 the population was 69,060. Its county seat is Pineville.[3] The county is named for Joshua Fry Bell, and was originally called "Josh Bell" but shortened to "Bell" by 1880.[4]
Bell County is a dry county, meaning that the sale of alcohol is prohibited.
The Middlesborough, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Bell County.
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 361.35 square miles (935.9 km2), of which 360.77 square miles (934.4 km2) (or 99.84%) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km2) (or 0.16%) is water.[5]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 3,731 |
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| 1880 | 6,055 | 62.3% | |
| 1890 | 10,312 | 70.3% | |
| 1900 | 15,701 | 52.3% | |
| 1910 | 28,447 | 81.2% | |
| 1920 | 33,988 | 19.5% | |
| 1930 | 38,747 | 14.0% | |
| 1940 | 43,812 | 13.1% | |
| 1950 | 47,602 | 8.7% | |
| 1960 | 35,336 | −25.8% | |
| 1970 | 31,121 | −11.9% | |
| 1980 | 34,330 | 10.3% | |
| 1990 | 31,506 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 30,060 | −4.6% | |
| 2010 | 28,691 | −4.6% | |
| http://ukcc.uky.edu/~census/21013.txt | |||
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 30,060 people, 12,004 households, and 8,522 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 per square mile (32 /km2). There were 13,341 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.02% White, 2.40% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 12,004 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 15.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.
The age distribution was 24.40% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $19,057, and the median income for a family was $23,818. Males had a median income of $24,521 versus $19,975 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,526. About 26.70% of families and 31.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.00% of those under age 18 and 21.80% of those age 65 or over.
Three public school districts operate in the county:
The largest of the three in enrollment and by far the largest in geographic scope. The district operates six mainstream K-8 "school centers", one alternative school, one vocational school, and one high school.
The second-largest of the three, with boundaries coinciding exactly with the corporate limits of Middlesboro.[7] The district operates two elementary schools, one designated as "primary" and the other as "intermediate"; one middle school; and one high school. The two elementary schools are separate facilities that share the same campus design (both schools are designed in an "X" shape), and the middle and high schools are separate facilities on one campus on the west side of town.
The county's smallest district; its boundaries generally, but do not exactly, follow the corporate limits of Pineville.[8] The district operates elementary, middle, and high schools on the same campus.
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