City · Iowa
Russell, Iowa
Russell, city, in Lucas County, Iowa. Russell had 477 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 472 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 613 (±150). GEOID 1969285.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
477
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 472 · ACS 2020-2024: 613 ±150
Median household income
$44,821
±$16,347 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$61,500
±$25,463 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$589
±$136 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Russell and what county is it in?
Russell is a city in Lucas County, Iowa. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 460 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Russell, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 477 people lived in Russell on July 1, 2025, up 0.8% since 2020, slower than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 472 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 613 (±150).
| Measure | Russell | Lucas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 613 ±150 | 8,716 | no clear change |
| Households | 321 ±88 | 3,708 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.91 ±0.28 | 2.33 | −0.59 |
| Housing units | 362 ±88 | 4,074 | no clear change |
Russell's population since 2000
From 559 in 2000 to 477 in 2025: down 14.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Russell as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Russell?
The median resident of Russell is 54.0 years old; 15.0% are under 18 and 33.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.6%.
| Measure | Russell | Lucas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 54.0 ±7.1 | 41.9 | +15.4 |
| Under 18 years | 15.0% ±5.8 pts | 23.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 33.6% ±8.7 pts | 22.0% | – |
| Male | 54.6% ±7.1 pts | 51.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.1% ±2.6 pts | 94.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.6% ±2.6 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.1% ±5.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±3.3 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 36.9% ±10.8 pts | 17.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.9% ±2.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.9% ±7.2 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 6.7% ±3.7 pts | 15.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±5.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.7% ±4.9 pts | 85.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Russell earn?
Half of Russell's 321 households earn less than $44,821 a year (±$16,347), against $61,793 in Lucas County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $55,279 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 24.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Russell | Lucas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,821 ±$16,347 | $61,793 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $53,029 ±$10,164 | $75,764 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,574 ±$3,567 | $32,274 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.6% ±12.1 pts | 14.9% | +18.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.7% ±14.6 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.5% ±8.5 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 76.3% ±18.2 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 70.4% ±18.6 pts | 80.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Russell?
Owners occupy 87.2% of Russell's occupied homes and renters 12.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $61,500 by its owner (±$25,463). The median renter pays $589 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Russell | Lucas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $61,500 ±$25,463 | $120,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $589 ±$136 | $709 | −$239 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.6% ±44.3 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $950 ±$230 | $1,351 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 87.2% ±8.4 pts | 78.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 12.8% ±8.4 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Housing units | 362 ±88 | 4,074 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±40.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.7% ±8.1 pts | 82.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.7% ±4.6 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.3% ±1.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.2% ±2.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 50.0% ±13.8 pts | 37.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.7% ±3.6 pts | 7.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Russell work and get to work?
79.7% of Russell's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.7 minutes.
| Measure | Russell | Lucas County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.0% ±10.4 pts | 60.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.7% ±9.7 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.6% ±7.3 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±9.3 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.3% ±4.6 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.7 min ±6.3 | 22.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Russell?
No census tract lies mostly in Russell; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Lucas County | 1,990 | $61,736 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Russell) · Census block assignment files
How does Russell compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Russell is the 13,375th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 447th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Russell is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 447th | 939 |
Russell's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Russell with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Russell?
26 of the 57 figures for Russell on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Russell are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Russell.