Barren County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Barren County, Kentucky has a population of 44,938 across 488 square miles, up 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.87 bn in 2024, 853 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 18 7(a) approvals worth $12.5 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Barren County
How many people live in Barren County
- Population44,938
- Households18,017
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$50,628
- Median age39.8
- Median gross rent$796 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$178,000
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over31,070
- Population under 1810,730
- Share under 1823.9 percent
- Population 65 and over8,152
- Share 65 and over18.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6426,056
- Civilian labor force19,436
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.8 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties24th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1103rd
Barren County is the 24th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.9 percent against 18.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barren County
Is Barren County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population44,485
- Births, 2024605
- Deaths, 2024564
- Natural change, 202441
- Net domestic migration, 2024283
- Net international migration, 2024156
- Total net migration, 2024439
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024995
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1000th
The county has grown 2.53 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.
Barren County
Where people moving to Barren County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,135
- People arriving, from those returns2,201
- Adjusted gross income arriving$59.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,180
- Largest single originBarren County Non-migrants (15,347 households)
- Largest single destination (15,347 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barren County Non-migrants | 15,347 | 32,567 | $902.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 387 | 745 | $27.1 m |
| Warren County | 213 | 381 | $9.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 210 | 385 | $16.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 177 | 326 | $8.4 m |
| Hart County | 118 | 258 | $3.8 m |
| Metcalfe County | 94 | 179 | $3.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 88 | 173 | $4.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Barren 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.
Barren County
What the Barren County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.87 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.78 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years27.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties28th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1340th
- GDP per resident$41,639
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 27.6 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.
Barren County
Who employs people in Barren County
- Covered employment, annual average15,413
- Establishments reporting1,306
- Average annual pay$51,346
- Average weekly wage$987
- Sector 62, employment2,618
- Sector 62, average annual pay$63,684
- Sector 44-45, employment2,609
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,293
- Sector 31-33, employment1,819
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$82,839
- Sector 72, employment1,788
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,901
- Sector 42, employment985
- Sector 23, employment719
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,618 | 218 | $63,684 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,609 | 211 | $33,293 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,819 | 64 | $82,839 |
| Sector 72 | 1,788 | 114 | $20,901 |
| Sector 42 | 985 | 65 | $67,602 |
| Sector 23 | 719 | 92 | $55,457 |
| Sector 52 | 564 | 78 | $61,024 |
| Sector 54 | 380 | 120 | $73,308 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,618 jobs, 17.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barren County
What businesses operate in Barren County
- Establishments, all industries853
- Employment at those establishments12,882
- Annual payroll$560.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.0
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.
Barren County
What is being built in Barren County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024283
- Declared construction value permitted$72.8 m
- Single family units authorised171
- Multifamily units authorised112
- Multifamily share of units39.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$257,173
- Units authorised per 1,000 households15.7
Multifamily is 39.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barren County
How much SBA lending happens in Barren County
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$12.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$692,633
- Median 7(a) approval$175,000
- 10th percentile approval$12,500
- 90th percentile approval$4,200,000
- Largest single approval$4,750,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)129
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter14
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals5.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (3)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (6)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.3 m
- Average 504 approval$253,000
- Median 504 approval$218,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval17.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved68.8
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals78.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.7 m
The average approval of $692,633 sits well above the median of $175,000, 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. Only 16.7 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.
Barren County
Do SBA loans in Barren County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
- Status: Cancelled3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 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.
Barren County
Which parts of Barren County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- GLASGOW, approvals15
- Cave City, approvals2
- SUMMER SHADE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| GLASGOW | 15 | $10,580,700 |
| Cave City | 2 | $1,866,700 |
| SUMMER SHADE | 1 | $20,000 |
GLASGOW accounts for 15 approvals against 2 in Cave City. 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.
Barren County
How big is Barren County
- Land area488 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties13th of 120
- Width, east to west23.6 mi
- Height, north to south30.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land92
- Establishments per square mile1.75
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.
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 NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- 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 Barren 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 Barren County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population44,938
- Households18,017
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$50,628
- Median age39.8
Common questions
Barren County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barren County, Kentucky?
44,938, in 18,017 households, ranking 24th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barren County growing?
The population has grown 2.53 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 605 births against 564 deaths, with net migration of 439. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barren County?
$50,628. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,000, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $796 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Barren County?
853 establishments, employing 12,882 people with an annual payroll of $560.7 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 Barren County?
Average annual pay is $51,346, or $987 a week, across 15,413 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barren County?
18 7(a) approvals totalling $12.5 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $175,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $1.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Barren County?
283 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $72.8 m. Multifamily was 39.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barren County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Barren County come from?
The largest single origin is Barren County Non-migrants, with 15,347 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,180 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 Barren 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 Barren 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.