Hardin County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Hardin County, Illinois has a population of 3,605 across 178 square miles, down 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $125.5 m in 2024, 55 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $497,600.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Hardin County
How many people live in Hardin County
- Population3,605
- Households1,545
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$54,271
- Median age53.6
- Median gross rent$379 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$103,800
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income8.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,899
- Population under 18533
- Share under 1814.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,076
- Share 65 and over29.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,996
- Civilian labor force1,305
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over42.5 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties102nd of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2995th
Hardin County is the 102nd largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 29.8 percent against 14.8 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.
Hardin County
Is Hardin County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.77 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,651
- Births, 202430
- Deaths, 202484
- Natural change, 2024-54
- Net domestic migration, 20246
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 20245
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024107
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2694th
The county has lost 2.77 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.
Hardin County
Where people moving to Hardin County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving47
- People arriving, from those returns90
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,574
- Largest single originHardin County Non-migrants (1,228 households)
- Largest single destination (1,228 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County Non-migrants | 1,228 | 2,516 | $70.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 47 | 90 | $2.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hardin 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.
Hardin County
What the Hardin County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$125.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$126.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.9 percent
- GDP change over five years62.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties101st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents3023rd
- GDP per resident$34,812
Output grew -0.9 percent in the latest year and 62.4 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.
Hardin County
Who employs people in Hardin County
- Covered employment, annual average767
- Establishments reporting57
- Average annual pay$46,177
- Average weekly wage$888
- Sector 62, employment245
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,186
- Sector 21, employment91
- Sector 21, average annual pay$69,221
- Sector 44-45, employment61
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,671
- Sector 48-49, employment57
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$44,324
- Sector 22, employment14
- Sector 81, employment8
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 245 | 5 | $46,186 |
| Sector 21 | 91 | 4 | $69,221 |
| Sector 44-45 | 61 | 8 | $31,671 |
| Sector 48-49 | 57 | 7 | $44,324 |
| Sector 22 | 14 | 4 | $52,207 |
| Sector 81 | 8 | 5 | $23,592 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 245 jobs, 31.9 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.
Hardin County
What businesses operate in Hardin County
- Establishments, all industries55
- Employment at those establishments568
- Annual payroll$24.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.3
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.
Hardin County
What is being built in Hardin County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hardin County
How much SBA lending happens in Hardin County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$497,600
- Average 7(a) approval$248,800
- Median 7(a) approval$382,500
- 10th percentile approval$115,100
- 90th percentile approval$382,500
- Largest single approval$382,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)29
- Jobs per approval14.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLessors of Other Real Estate Property (1)
- Most active lenderSouthernTrust Bank (1)
The average approval of $248,800 sits close to the median of $382,500, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Hardin County
Do SBA loans in Hardin County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Hardin County
Which parts of Hardin County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- ROSICLARE, approvals1
- ELIZABETHTOWN, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ROSICLARE | 1 | $115,100 |
| ELIZABETHTOWN | 1 | $382,500 |
ROSICLARE accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in ELIZABETHTOWN. 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.
Hardin County
How big is Hardin County
- Land area178 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties101st of 102
- Width, east to west19.4 mi
- Height, north to south13.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land20
- Establishments per square mile0.31
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.
Hardin County
What hazards affect Hardin County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate75.0 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.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Hardin 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 Hardin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,605
- Households1,545
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$54,271
- Median age53.6
Common questions
Hardin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hardin County, Illinois?
3,605, in 1,545 households, ranking 102nd of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hardin County growing?
The population has fallen 2.77 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 30 births against 84 deaths, with net migration of 5. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hardin County?
$54,271. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,800, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $379 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hardin County?
55 establishments, employing 568 people with an annual payroll of $24.0 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 Hardin County?
Average annual pay is $46,177, or $888 a week, across 767 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hardin County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $497,600 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $382,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hardin County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hardin 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 Hardin County come from?
The largest single origin is Hardin County Non-migrants, with 1,228 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,574 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 Hardin 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 Hardin 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.