Fayette County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Fayette County, Kentucky has a population of 323,725 across 284 square miles, up 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $28.91 bn in 2024, 9,295 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 304 7(a) approvals worth $141.6 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Fayette County
How many people live in Fayette County
- Population323,725
- Households139,715
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$69,479
- Median age35.3
- Median gross rent$1,164 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$293,500
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher48.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over211,551
- Population under 1867,924
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over47,626
- Share 65 and over14.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64208,175
- Civilian labor force180,472
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.6 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties2nd of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents227th
Fayette County is the 2nd largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.0 percent against 14.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Fayette County
Is Fayette County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.13 percent
- Census 2020 base population322,566
- Births, 20243,732
- Deaths, 20242,685
- Natural change, 20241,047
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,020
- Net international migration, 20245,804
- Total net migration, 20243,784
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-9,648
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1133rd
The county has grown 2.13 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.
Fayette County
Where people moving to Fayette County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,645
- People arriving, from those returns13,573
- Adjusted gross income arriving$571.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$66,051
- Largest single originFayette County Non-migrants (113,688 households)
- Largest single destination (113,688 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County Non-migrants | 113,688 | 218,945 | $10.73 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,848 | 4,693 | $202.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,280 | 2,113 | $94.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 748 | 1,179 | $52.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 581 | 826 | $25.8 m |
| Jessamine County | 577 | 985 | $38.7 m |
| Madison County | 446 | 676 | $20.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 442 | 778 | $29.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Fayette 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.
Fayette County
What the Fayette County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$28.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$27.55 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years36.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents202nd
- GDP per resident$89,300
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 36.8 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.
Fayette County
Who employs people in Fayette County
- Covered employment, annual average204,412
- Establishments reporting15,142
- Average annual pay$64,489
- Average weekly wage$1,240
- Sector 62, employment27,200
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,966
- Sector 72, employment20,701
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,689
- Sector 44-45, employment19,577
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,091
- Sector 54, employment13,629
- Sector 54, average annual pay$90,674
- Sector 56, employment12,515
- Sector 31-33, employment11,026
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 27,200 | 1,940 | $65,966 |
| Sector 72 | 20,701 | 986 | $25,689 |
| Sector 44-45 | 19,577 | 1,369 | $39,091 |
| Sector 54 | 13,629 | 2,929 | $90,674 |
| Sector 56 | 12,515 | 921 | $42,716 |
| Sector 31-33 | 11,026 | 591 | $82,318 |
| Sector 23 | 10,816 | 909 | $77,331 |
| Sector 48-49 | 8,868 | 274 | $52,999 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 27,200 jobs, 13.3 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.
Fayette County
What businesses operate in Fayette County
- Establishments, all industries9,295
- Employment at those establishments171,507
- Annual payroll$9.58 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.7
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.
Fayette County
What is being built in Fayette County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,036
- Declared construction value permitted$162.2 m
- Single family units authorised492
- Multifamily units authorised544
- Multifamily share of units52.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$156,595
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.4
Multifamily is 52.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fayette County
How much SBA lending happens in Fayette County
- 7(a) approvals recorded304
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$141.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$465,628
- Median 7(a) approval$195,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,317,100
- Largest single approval$4,470,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,852
- Jobs per approval12.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active53
- Distinct industries receiving approvals134
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms26
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter260
- Franchise loans66
- Franchise share of approvals21.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (14)
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (34)
- 504 approvals recorded62
- 504 gross approval dollars$37.0 m
- Average 504 approval$596,694
- Median 504 approval$469,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval8.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.9
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (52)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$178.5 m
The average approval of $465,628 sits well above the median of $195,000, 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 8.6 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.
Fayette County
Do SBA loans in Fayette County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded68
- Paid in full58
- Charged off10
- Charge off rate on resolved loans14.7 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure178
- Status: Paid in full58
- Status: Cancelled40
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed18
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fayette County
Which parts of Fayette County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- LEXINGTON, approvals302
- CLEVELAND, approvals1
- Danville, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LEXINGTON | 302 | $141,175,800 |
| CLEVELAND | 1 | $125,000 |
| Danville | 1 | $250,000 |
LEXINGTON accounts for 302 approvals against 1 in CLEVELAND. 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.
Fayette County
How big is Fayette County
- Land area284 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties71st of 120
- Width, east to west20.4 mi
- Height, north to south24.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land1,140
- Establishments per square mile32.73
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 Fayette 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 Fayette County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population323,725
- Households139,715
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$69,479
- Median age35.3
Common questions
Fayette County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fayette County, Kentucky?
323,725, in 139,715 households, ranking 2nd of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fayette County growing?
The population has grown 2.13 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,732 births against 2,685 deaths, with net migration of 3,784. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fayette County?
$69,479. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $293,500, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,164 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Fayette County?
9,295 establishments, employing 171,507 people with an annual payroll of $9.58 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Fayette County?
Average annual pay is $64,489, or $1,240 a week, across 204,412 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fayette County?
304 7(a) approvals totalling $141.6 m since FY2020, across 53 lenders, with a median approval of $195,000, plus 62 504 approvals worth $37.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Fayette County get paid back?
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 58 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge off rate of 14.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Fayette County?
1,036 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $162.2 m. Multifamily was 52.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fayette 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 Fayette County come from?
The largest single origin is Fayette County Non-migrants, with 113,688 households. Arriving households report an average income of $66,051 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 Fayette 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 Fayette 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.