Caldwell County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Caldwell County, Kentucky has a population of 12,618 across 345 square miles, down 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $543.0 m in 2024, 266 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $5.4 m.
104 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Caldwell County
How many people live in Caldwell County
- Population12,618
- Households5,025
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$59,583
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$767 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$118,500
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,856
- Population under 182,895
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,704
- Share 65 and over21.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,019
- Civilian labor force5,613
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.7 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties87th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2308th
Caldwell County is the 87th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.9 percent against 21.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Caldwell County
Is Caldwell County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population12,647
- Births, 2024151
- Deaths, 2024126
- Natural change, 202425
- Net domestic migration, 202429
- Net international migration, 2024-3
- Total net migration, 202426
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202450
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1954th
The county has lost 0.28 percent of its population 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.
Caldwell County
Where people moving to Caldwell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving291
- People arriving, from those returns583
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,220
- Largest single originCaldwell County Non-migrants (4,433 households)
- Largest single destination (4,433 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell County Non-migrants | 4,433 | 9,326 | $257.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 107 | 198 | $3.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 70 | 148 | $3.7 m |
| Hopkins County | 53 | 111 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 43 | 95 | $2.4 m |
| Lyon County | 36 | 64 | $1.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 27 | 53 | $1.3 m |
| Christian County | 25 | 62 | $848,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Caldwell 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.
Caldwell County
What the Caldwell County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$543.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$540.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.5 percent
- GDP change over five years30.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties68th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2354th
- GDP per resident$43,031
Output grew 0.5 percent in the latest year and 30.7 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.
Caldwell County
Who employs people in Caldwell County
- Covered employment, annual average4,693
- Establishments reporting380
- Average annual pay$43,790
- Average weekly wage$842
- Sector 31-33, employment1,183
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$54,646
- Sector 44-45, employment772
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,651
- Sector 62, employment515
- Sector 62, average annual pay$52,098
- Sector 56, employment355
- Sector 56, average annual pay$31,719
- Sector 52, employment124
- Sector 48-49, employment121
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,183 | 13 | $54,646 |
| Sector 44-45 | 772 | 66 | $34,651 |
| Sector 62 | 515 | 54 | $52,098 |
| Sector 56 | 355 | 15 | $31,719 |
| Sector 52 | 124 | 20 | $54,984 |
| Sector 48-49 | 121 | 11 | $54,859 |
| Sector 53 | 92 | 8 | $55,159 |
| Sector 81 | 89 | 26 | $36,818 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,183 jobs, 25.2 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.
Caldwell County
What businesses operate in Caldwell County
- Establishments, all industries266
- Employment at those establishments3,557
- Annual payroll$152.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Caldwell County
What is being built in Caldwell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202450
- Declared construction value permitted$12.5 m
- Single family units authorised50
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$250,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Caldwell County
How much SBA lending happens in Caldwell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,073,680
- Median 7(a) approval$378,400
- 10th percentile approval$60,000
- 90th percentile approval$4,280,000
- Largest single approval$4,280,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)75
- Jobs per approval15.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNail Salons (2)
- Most active lenderNewtek Small Business Finance, Inc. (1)
The average approval of $1,073,680 sits well above the median of $378,400, 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 20.0 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.
Caldwell County
Do SBA loans in Caldwell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
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.
Caldwell County
Which parts of Caldwell County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- PRINCETON, approvals4
- Dawson Springs, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| PRINCETON | 4 | $4,990,000 |
| Dawson Springs | 1 | $378,400 |
PRINCETON accounts for 4 approvals against 1 in Dawson Springs. 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.
Caldwell County
How big is Caldwell County
- Land area345 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties47th of 120
- Width, east to west22.9 mi
- Height, north to south29 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land37
- Establishments per square mile0.77
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population12,618
- Households5,025
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$59,583
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Caldwell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Caldwell County, Kentucky?
12,618, in 5,025 households, ranking 87th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Caldwell County growing?
The population has fallen 0.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 151 births against 126 deaths, with net migration of 26. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Caldwell County?
$59,583. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $118,500, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $767 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Caldwell County?
266 establishments, employing 3,557 people with an annual payroll of $152.5 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 Caldwell County?
Average annual pay is $43,790, or $842 a week, across 4,693 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Caldwell County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $5.4 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $378,400. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Caldwell County?
50 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Caldwell 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 Caldwell County come from?
The largest single origin is Caldwell County Non-migrants, with 4,433 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,220 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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.