| ZIP Codes: | 12 ZIP Codes (11 Standard, 1 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Code: | 606 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 11:53:34 PM |
| Population: | 24,039 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 21013 |
| CBSA: | Middlesborough, KY |
| Land Area: | 389 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 2 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 36.7679, -83.6482 |
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24,039 residents live across 12 ZIPs covering 389 sq mi, served by 12 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 28,781 to 24,039 from 2014 to 2024 — a -16.5% change. 3 ZIPs gained residents, 8 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 40813 (Calvin, $81,204 median) and poorest ZIP 40845 (Hulen, $23,450) are 5.7 miles apart — a 3.5× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.4× across this county — from $66,000 in 40845 (Hulen) to $159,800 in 40813 (Calvin).
Density varies 14× across the county — from 12 people/sq mi in 40940 (Frakes) to 162 in 40965 (Middlesboro).
Educational attainment ranges from 1.0% bachelor's+ in 40845 (Hulen) to 18.9% in 40913 (Beverly) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within Kentucky, this is the #46 most populous of 120 counties and ranks #97 for median household income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $34,312 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (2,663 of 16,908 reporting).
11 Standard delivery, 1 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
Median household income spans 3.5× between the wealthiest and poorest ZIPs — a sign of significant intra-county inequality.
Bell County lost 16.5% of residents between 2014 and 2024. ZIPs that shed the largest share:
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40965 | Middlesboro | Standard | 11,561 | $28,685 | 71.2 | -15.8% |
| 40977 | Pineville | Standard | 8,367 | $37,917 | 119.4 | -13.9% |
| 40856 | Miracle | Standard | 745 | $47,880 | 34.0 | 0.9% |
| 40845 | Hulen | Standard | 580 | $23,450 | 21.5 | -2.2% |
| 40902 | Arjay | Standard | 558 | — | 35.2 | -53.0% |
| 40958 | Kettle Island | Standard | 547 | $48,721 | 10.9 | 4.4% |
| 40988 | Stoney Fork | Standard | 519 | $38,125 | 26.1 | -4.1% |
| 40940 | Frakes | Standard | 367 | — | 31.0 | -45.9% |
| 40813 | Calvin | Standard | 354 | $81,204 | 14.7 | -44.3% |
| 40913 | Beverly | Standard | 276 | $51,023 | 14.8 | -0.4% |
| 40939 | Fourmile | Standard | 165 | — | 9.7 | 4.4% |
| 40955 | Ingram | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |