Leon County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Leon County, Florida has a population of 297,542 across 667 square miles, up 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $23.57 bn in 2024, 8,163 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 172 7(a) approvals worth $108.2 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Leon County
How many people live in Leon County
- Population297,542
- Households122,597
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$66,287
- Median age32.0
- Median gross rent$1,291 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$301,800
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher48.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over178,707
- Population under 1855,054
- Share under 1818.5 percent
- Population 65 and over44,008
- Share 65 and over14.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64198,480
- Civilian labor force161,854
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.7 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties23rd of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents246th
Leon County is the 23rd largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.5 percent against 14.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Leon County
Is Leon County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.83 percent
- Census 2020 base population292,207
- Births, 20242,687
- Deaths, 20242,311
- Natural change, 2024376
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,730
- Net international migration, 20242,798
- Total net migration, 20241,068
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,734
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents915th
The county has grown 2.83 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Leon County
Where people moving to Leon County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,668
- People arriving, from those returns13,712
- Adjusted gross income arriving$463.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,426
- Largest single originLeon County Non-migrants (102,185 households)
- Largest single destination (102,185 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County Non-migrants | 102,185 | 190,380 | $8.79 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,829 | 4,637 | $190.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,326 | 2,183 | $76.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 530 | 850 | $31.6 m |
| Gadsden County | 514 | 950 | $20.2 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 487 | 774 | $34.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 486 | 830 | $47.8 m |
| Wakulla County | 343 | 578 | $15.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Leon 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.
Leon County
What the Leon County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$23.57 bn
- County GDP, 2023$21.81 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.1 percent
- GDP change over five years46.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Florida counties18th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents233rd
- GDP per resident$79,209
Output grew 8.1 percent in the latest year and 46.2 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.
Leon County
Who employs people in Leon County
- Covered employment, annual average163,754
- Establishments reporting11,134
- Average annual pay$61,906
- Average weekly wage$1,191
- Sector 62, employment22,511
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,657
- Sector 72, employment16,623
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,430
- Sector 44-45, employment15,780
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,129
- Sector 54, employment14,754
- Sector 54, average annual pay$103,572
- Sector 56, employment7,499
- Sector 23, employment7,278
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 22,511 | 1,179 | $64,657 |
| Sector 72 | 16,623 | 832 | $24,430 |
| Sector 44-45 | 15,780 | 1,030 | $36,129 |
| Sector 54 | 14,754 | 2,258 | $103,572 |
| Sector 56 | 7,499 | 920 | $49,930 |
| Sector 23 | 7,278 | 915 | $61,887 |
| Sector 81 | 5,362 | 884 | $60,703 |
| Sector 52 | 4,873 | 525 | $92,366 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 22,511 jobs, 13.7 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.
Leon County
What businesses operate in Leon County
- Establishments, all industries8,163
- Employment at those establishments107,646
- Annual payroll$5.97 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.4
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.
Leon County
What is being built in Leon County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,765
- Declared construction value permitted$278.7 m
- Single family units authorised768
- Multifamily units authorised997
- Multifamily share of units56.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$157,880
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.4
Multifamily is 56.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Leon County
How much SBA lending happens in Leon County
- 7(a) approvals recorded172
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$108.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$629,153
- Median 7(a) approval$302,500
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,605,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,516
- Jobs per approval14.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active58
- Distinct industries receiving approvals77
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms24
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter132
- Franchise loans51
- Franchise share of approvals29.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (20)
- 504 approvals recorded156
- 504 gross approval dollars$112.5 m
- Average 504 approval$721,346
- Median 504 approval$361,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval10.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.3
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (128)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals52.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$220.7 m
The average approval of $629,153 sits well above the median of $302,500, 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. Only 14.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Leon County
Do SBA loans in Leon County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded29
- Paid in full27
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.9 percent
- Status: Cancelled18
- Status: Exempt from disclosure118
- Status: Paid in full27
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.9 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Leon County
Which parts of Leon County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- TALLAHASSEE, approvals169
- SAINT AUGUSTINE, approvals1
- TALLAHASSE, approvals1
- PANAMA CITY BEACH, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| TALLAHASSEE | 169 | $107,865,800 |
| SAINT AUGUSTINE | 1 | $150,000 |
| TALLAHASSE | 1 | $148,500 |
| PANAMA CITY BEACH | 1 | $50,000 |
TALLAHASSEE accounts for 169 approvals against 1 in SAINT AUGUSTINE. 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.
Leon County
How big is Leon County
- Land area667 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties37th of 67
- Width, east to west43.9 mi
- Height, north to south28.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land446
- Establishments per square mile12.24
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.
Leon County
What hazards affect Leon County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- 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 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 5, 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 Leon 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 Leon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population297,542
- Households122,597
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$66,287
- Median age32.0
Common questions
Leon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Leon County, Florida?
297,542, in 122,597 households, ranking 23rd of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Leon County growing?
The population has grown 2.83 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,687 births against 2,311 deaths, with net migration of 1,068. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Leon County?
$66,287. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $301,800, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,291 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Leon County?
8,163 establishments, employing 107,646 people with an annual payroll of $5.97 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Leon County?
Average annual pay is $61,906, or $1,191 a week, across 163,754 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Leon County?
172 7(a) approvals totalling $108.2 m since FY2020, across 58 lenders, with a median approval of $302,500, plus 156 504 approvals worth $112.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Leon County get paid back?
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 27 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Leon County?
1,765 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $278.7 m. Multifamily was 56.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Leon County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Leon County come from?
The largest single origin is Leon County Non-migrants, with 102,185 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,426 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 Leon 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 Leon 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.