Walker County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Walker County, Georgia has a population of 68,762 across 446 square miles, up 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.27 bn in 2024, 756 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 32 7(a) approvals worth $20.0 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Walker County
How many people live in Walker County
- Population68,762
- Households26,355
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$59,469
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$940 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$197,100
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over48,971
- Population under 1814,556
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over13,502
- Share 65 and over19.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6440,704
- Civilian labor force32,679
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.3 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties37th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents798th
Walker County is the 37th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 19.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Walker County
Is Walker County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.49 percent
- Census 2020 base population67,658
- Births, 2024430
- Deaths, 2024874
- Natural change, 2024-444
- Net domestic migration, 2024325
- Net international migration, 202456
- Total net migration, 2024381
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,807
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1008th
The county has grown 2.49 percent 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.
Walker County
Where people moving to Walker County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,110
- People arriving, from those returns4,118
- Adjusted gross income arriving$104.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,438
- Largest single originWalker County Non-migrants (21,420 households)
- Largest single destination (21,420 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walker County Non-migrants | 21,420 | 45,905 | $1.29 bn |
| Hamilton County | 548 | 1,048 | $31.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 536 | 1,027 | $28.6 m |
| Catoosa County | 519 | 1,024 | $21.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 361 | 695 | $18.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 207 | 389 | $10.6 m |
| Whitfield County | 91 | 190 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 82 | 153 | $4.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Walker 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.
Walker County
What the Walker County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.27 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.10 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.9 percent
- GDP change over five years50.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Georgia counties48th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1180th
- GDP per resident$32,985
Output grew 7.9 percent in the latest year and 50.6 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.
Walker County
Who employs people in Walker County
- Covered employment, annual average14,922
- Establishments reporting915
- Average annual pay$45,778
- Average weekly wage$880
- Sector 31-33, employment5,084
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$46,374
- Sector 44-45, employment1,542
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,186
- Sector 52, employment1,070
- Sector 52, average annual pay$75,065
- Sector 23, employment581
- Sector 23, average annual pay$63,906
- Sector 42, employment342
- Sector 56, employment307
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 5,084 | 56 | $46,374 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,542 | 145 | $28,186 |
| Sector 52 | 1,070 | 46 | $75,065 |
| Sector 23 | 581 | 87 | $63,906 |
| Sector 42 | 342 | 50 | $60,442 |
| Sector 56 | 307 | 42 | $29,999 |
| Sector 81 | 229 | 58 | $44,436 |
| Sector 53 | 61 | 29 | $49,667 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,084 jobs, 34.1 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.
Walker County
What businesses operate in Walker County
- Establishments, all industries756
- Employment at those establishments12,406
- Annual payroll$515.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.0
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.
Walker County
What is being built in Walker County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024344
- Declared construction value permitted$81.8 m
- Single family units authorised317
- Multifamily units authorised27
- Multifamily share of units7.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$237,773
- Units authorised per 1,000 households13.1
Multifamily is 7.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Walker County
How much SBA lending happens in Walker County
- 7(a) approvals recorded32
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$20.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$625,938
- Median 7(a) approval$500,000
- 10th percentile approval$31,400
- 90th percentile approval$1,400,000
- Largest single approval$2,112,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)283
- Jobs per approval8.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active15
- Distinct industries receiving approvals25
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer31.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms10
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals15.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (8)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.5 m
- Average 504 approval$643,000
- Median 504 approval$665,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.8
- Most active CDCCapital Partners Certified Development Company (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$24.5 m
The average approval of $625,938 sits close to the median of $500,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 31.3 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.
Walker County
Do SBA loans in Walker County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full6
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure22
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.
Walker County
Which parts of Walker County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- LA FAYETTE, approvals18
- CHICKAMAUGA, approvals8
- ROSSVILLE, approvals4
- RINGGOLD, approvals1
- LaFayette, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LA FAYETTE | 18 | $13,032,400 |
| CHICKAMAUGA | 8 | $5,663,500 |
| ROSSVILLE | 4 | $190,300 |
| RINGGOLD | 1 | $643,800 |
| LaFayette | 1 | $500,000 |
LA FAYETTE accounts for 18 approvals against 8 in CHICKAMAUGA. 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.
Walker County
How big is Walker County
- Land area446 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties40th of 159
- Width, east to west27.5 mi
- Height, north to south27.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land154
- Establishments per square mile1.70
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.
Walker County
What hazards affect Walker County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
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 Walker 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 Walker County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population68,762
- Households26,355
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$59,469
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Walker County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Walker County, Georgia?
68,762, in 26,355 households, ranking 37th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Walker County growing?
The population has grown 2.49 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 430 births against 874 deaths, with net migration of 381. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Walker County?
$59,469. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $197,100, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $940 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Walker County?
756 establishments, employing 12,406 people with an annual payroll of $515.3 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 Walker County?
Average annual pay is $45,778, or $880 a week, across 14,922 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Walker County?
32 7(a) approvals totalling $20.0 m since FY2020, across 15 lenders, with a median approval of $500,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $4.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Walker County?
344 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $81.8 m. Multifamily was 7.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Walker 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 Walker County come from?
The largest single origin is Walker County Non-migrants, with 21,420 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,438 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 Walker 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 Walker 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.