HomeCaliforniaLake County
Lake County, California: commercial real estate data.
Lake County, California has a population of 68,152 across 1,256 square miles, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.69 bn in 2024, 1,089 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 47 7(a) approvals worth $43.3 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Lake County
How many people live in Lake County
- Population68,152
- Households26,940
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$60,621
- Median age44.1
- Median gross rent$1,368 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$324,300
- Home value to household income5.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income27.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over48,884
- Population under 1814,934
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over16,290
- Share 65 and over23.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6436,928
- Civilian labor force28,259
- Unemployment rate11.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.1 percent
- Rank by population among California counties40th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents804th
Lake County is the 40th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 5.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.9 percent against 21.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lake County
Is Lake County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.59 percent
- Census 2020 base population68,164
- Births, 2024680
- Deaths, 20241,027
- Natural change, 2024-347
- Net domestic migration, 202436
- Net international migration, 2024144
- Total net migration, 2024180
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024463
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2050th
The county has lost 0.59 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Lake County
Where people moving to Lake County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,459
- People arriving, from those returns2,612
- Adjusted gross income arriving$88.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,361
- Largest single originLake County Non-migrants (21,453 households)
- Largest single destination (21,453 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County Non-migrants | 21,453 | 42,636 | $1.31 bn |
| Sonoma County | 299 | 549 | $18.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 272 | 476 | $12.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 265 | 465 | $15.4 m |
| Mendocino County | 163 | 346 | $7.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 139 | 222 | $6.0 m |
| Sacramento County | 78 | 130 | $4.0 m |
| Napa County | 76 | 155 | $5.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lake County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Lake County
What the Lake County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.69 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.48 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.5 percent
- GDP change over five years33.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties43rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1058th
- GDP per resident$39,543
Output grew 8.5 percent in the latest year and 33.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Lake County
Who employs people in Lake County
- Covered employment, annual average17,522
- Establishments reporting3,657
- Average annual pay$53,849
- Average weekly wage$1,036
- Sector 62, employment5,202
- Sector 62, average annual pay$48,095
- Sector 44-45, employment2,218
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,239
- Sector 72, employment1,105
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,477
- Sector 23, employment874
- Sector 23, average annual pay$64,906
- Sector 48-49, employment418
- Sector 22, employment392
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 5,202 | 2,513 | $48,095 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,218 | 153 | $38,239 |
| Sector 72 | 1,105 | 131 | $26,477 |
| Sector 23 | 874 | 204 | $64,906 |
| Sector 48-49 | 418 | 29 | $91,406 |
| Sector 22 | 392 | 13 | $164,955 |
| Sector 81 | 351 | 89 | $38,677 |
| Sector 31-33 | 344 | 43 | $57,051 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,202 jobs, 29.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lake County
What businesses operate in Lake County
- Establishments, all industries1,089
- Employment at those establishments10,063
- Annual payroll$517.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lake County
What is being built in Lake County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024114
- Declared construction value permitted$23.6 m
- Single family units authorised72
- Multifamily units authorised42
- Multifamily share of units36.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$206,796
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.2
Multifamily is 36.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lake County
How much SBA lending happens in Lake County
- 7(a) approvals recorded47
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$43.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$922,240
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,992,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)327
- Jobs per approval7.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active21
- Distinct industries receiving approvals26
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms19
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter27
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals8.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (6)
- Most active lenderColumbia Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded15
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.8 m
- Average 504 approval$453,800
- Median 504 approval$278,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval4.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.3
- Most active CDCBay Area Employment Development Company (8)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$50.2 m
The average approval of $922,240 sits well above the median of $300,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 40.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lake County
Do SBA loans in Lake County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full6
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure36
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 6 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lake County
Which parts of Lake County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- LAKEPORT, approvals14
- KELSEYVILLE, approvals13
- MIDDLETOWN, approvals4
- NICE, approvals4
- HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, approvals3
- Lower Lake, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LAKEPORT | 14 | $12,622,700 |
| KELSEYVILLE | 13 | $3,318,000 |
| MIDDLETOWN | 4 | $7,315,000 |
| NICE | 4 | $2,867,000 |
| HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE | 3 | $683,400 |
| Lower Lake | 3 | $3,882,000 |
| CLEARLAKE | 3 | $10,466,700 |
| Cobb | 2 | $1,610,500 |
LAKEPORT accounts for 14 approvals against 13 in KELSEYVILLE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lake County
How big is Lake County
- Land area1,256 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties38th of 58
- Width, east to west40.4 mi
- Height, north to south63.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile0.87
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Lake County
What hazards affect Lake County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Lake County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Lake County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population68,152
- Households26,940
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$60,621
- Median age44.1
Common questions
Lake County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lake County, California?
68,152, in 26,940 households, ranking 40th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lake County growing?
The population has fallen 0.59 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 680 births against 1,027 deaths, with net migration of 180. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lake County?
$60,621. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $324,300, which is 5.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,368 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lake County?
1,089 establishments, employing 10,063 people with an annual payroll of $517.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Lake County?
Average annual pay is $53,849, or $1,036 a week, across 17,522 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lake County?
47 7(a) approvals totalling $43.3 m since FY2020, across 21 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 15 504 approvals worth $6.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lake County?
114 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $23.6 m. Multifamily was 36.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lake County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Lake County come from?
The largest single origin is Lake County Non-migrants, with 21,453 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,361 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lake County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Lake County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.