Carter County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Carter County, Kentucky has a population of 26,341 across 409 square miles, down 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $670.6 m in 2024, 389 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $498,200.
105 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Carter County
How many people live in Carter County
- Population26,341
- Households10,794
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$51,235
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$740 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$132,800
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over18,200
- Population under 185,941
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over5,250
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,150
- Civilian labor force10,267
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties43rd of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1603rd
Carter County is the 43rd largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 19.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Carter County
Is Carter County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.00 percent
- Census 2020 base population26,630
- Births, 2024248
- Deaths, 2024459
- Natural change, 2024-211
- Net domestic migration, 202455
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 202454
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024261
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2497th
The county has lost 2.00 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.
Carter County
Where people moving to Carter County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving469
- People arriving, from those returns924
- Adjusted gross income arriving$18.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,377
- Largest single originCarter County Non-migrants (8,504 households)
- Largest single destination (8,504 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County Non-migrants | 8,504 | 18,676 | $462.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 131 | 257 | $6.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 129 | 262 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 70 | 148 | $3.5 m |
| Boyd County | 68 | 133 | $3.3 m |
| Rowan County | 61 | 105 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 61 | 109 | $2.6 m |
| Greenup County | 44 | 88 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Carter 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.
Carter County
What the Carter County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$670.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$651.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.0 percent
- GDP change over five years25.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties61st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2186th
- GDP per resident$25,460
Output grew 3.0 percent in the latest year and 25.6 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.
Carter County
Who employs people in Carter County
- Covered employment, annual average5,650
- Establishments reporting645
- Average annual pay$41,562
- Average weekly wage$799
- Sector 44-45, employment896
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,235
- Sector 31-33, employment658
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$50,585
- Sector 72, employment611
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,238
- Sector 56, employment409
- Sector 56, average annual pay$52,574
- Sector 23, employment310
- Sector 81, employment279
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 896 | 120 | $31,235 |
| Sector 31-33 | 658 | 16 | $50,585 |
| Sector 72 | 611 | 44 | $18,238 |
| Sector 56 | 409 | 32 | $52,574 |
| Sector 23 | 310 | 70 | $55,141 |
| Sector 81 | 279 | 46 | $36,650 |
| Sector 52 | 155 | 28 | $54,342 |
| Sector 54 | 136 | 54 | $47,034 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 896 jobs, 15.9 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.
Carter County
What businesses operate in Carter County
- Establishments, all industries389
- Employment at those establishments5,029
- Annual payroll$178.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.8
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.
Carter County
What is being built in Carter County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$285,508
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$285,508
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Carter County
How much SBA lending happens in Carter County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$498,200
- Average 7(a) approval$124,550
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$288,200
- Largest single approval$288,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)49
- Jobs per approval12.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (1)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (2)
The average approval of $124,550 sits close to the median of $150,000, 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.
Carter County
Do SBA loans in Carter County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Carter County
Which parts of Carter County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- OLIVE HILL, approvals3
- GRAYSON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| OLIVE HILL | 3 | $348,200 |
| GRAYSON | 1 | $150,000 |
OLIVE HILL accounts for 3 approvals against 1 in GRAYSON. 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.
Carter County
How big is Carter County
- Land area409 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties31st of 120
- Width, east to west30.9 mi
- Height, north to south22.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land64
- Establishments per square mile0.95
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 Carter 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 Carter County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population26,341
- Households10,794
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$51,235
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Carter County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Carter County, Kentucky?
26,341, in 10,794 households, ranking 43rd of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Carter County growing?
The population has fallen 2.00 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 248 births against 459 deaths, with net migration of 54. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Carter County?
$51,235. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $132,800, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $740 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Carter County?
389 establishments, employing 5,029 people with an annual payroll of $178.0 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 Carter County?
Average annual pay is $41,562, or $799 a week, across 5,650 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Carter County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $498,200 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Carter County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $285,508. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Carter 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 Carter County come from?
The largest single origin is Carter County Non-migrants, with 8,504 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,377 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 Carter 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 Carter 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.