Garrard County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Garrard County, Kentucky has a population of 17,568 across 230 square miles, up 6.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $431.8 m in 2024, 251 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m.
100 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Garrard County
How many people live in Garrard County
- Population17,568
- Households6,695
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$63,087
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$794 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$204,900
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,524
- Population under 183,791
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,289
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,488
- Civilian labor force7,788
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.5 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties66th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2005th
Garrard County is the 66th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.6 percent against 18.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Garrard County
Is Garrard County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.46 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,946
- Births, 2024180
- Deaths, 2024233
- Natural change, 2024-53
- Net domestic migration, 2024129
- Net international migration, 202476
- Total net migration, 2024205
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,185
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents356th
The county has grown 6.46 percent 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.
Garrard County
Where people moving to Garrard County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving556
- People arriving, from those returns1,148
- Adjusted gross income arriving$38.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$68,874
- Largest single originGarrard County Non-migrants (5,846 households)
- Largest single destination (5,846 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrard County Non-migrants | 5,846 | 12,796 | $375.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 121 | 259 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 116 | 221 | $11.1 m |
| Jessamine County | 87 | 181 | $5.2 m |
| Fayette County | 62 | 110 | $4.1 m |
| Madison County | 54 | 127 | $3.7 m |
| Lincoln County | 53 | 117 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 52 | 101 | $3.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Garrard 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.
Garrard County
What the Garrard County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$431.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$391.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.3 percent
- GDP change over five years56.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties84th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2494th
- GDP per resident$24,578
Output grew 10.3 percent in the latest year and 56.7 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.
Garrard County
Who employs people in Garrard County
- Covered employment, annual average2,759
- Establishments reporting424
- Average annual pay$48,370
- Average weekly wage$930
- Sector 23, employment595
- Sector 23, average annual pay$61,981
- Sector 62, employment312
- Sector 62, average annual pay$47,856
- Sector 44-45, employment309
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,214
- Sector 31-33, employment127
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$48,027
- Sector 54, employment101
- Sector 56, employment93
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 595 | 70 | $61,981 |
| Sector 62 | 312 | 62 | $47,856 |
| Sector 44-45 | 309 | 39 | $33,214 |
| Sector 31-33 | 127 | 24 | $48,027 |
| Sector 54 | 101 | 47 | $69,288 |
| Sector 56 | 93 | 27 | $53,135 |
| Sector 42 | 79 | 18 | $75,356 |
| Sector 81 | 78 | 22 | $45,688 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 595 jobs, 21.6 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.
Garrard County
What businesses operate in Garrard County
- Establishments, all industries251
- Employment at those establishments1,654
- Annual payroll$71.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.3
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.
Garrard County
What is being built in Garrard 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.
Garrard County
How much SBA lending happens in Garrard County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$300,845
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$640,000
- Largest single approval$640,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)39
- Jobs per approval3.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- 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 shorter10
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countInsurance Agencies and Brokerages (5)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (5)
The average approval of $300,845 sits close to the median of $250,000, 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.
Garrard County
Do SBA loans in Garrard County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Garrard County
How big is Garrard County
- Land area230 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties93rd of 120
- Width, east to west21.7 mi
- Height, north to south24.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land76
- Establishments per square mile1.09
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 Garrard 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 Garrard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population17,568
- Households6,695
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$63,087
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Garrard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Garrard County, Kentucky?
17,568, in 6,695 households, ranking 66th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Garrard County growing?
The population has grown 6.46 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 180 births against 233 deaths, with net migration of 205. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Garrard County?
$63,087. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $204,900, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $794 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Garrard County?
251 establishments, employing 1,654 people with an annual payroll of $71.4 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 Garrard County?
Average annual pay is $48,370, or $930 a week, across 2,759 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Garrard County?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Garrard 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 Garrard 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 Garrard County come from?
The largest single origin is Garrard County Non-migrants, with 5,846 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,874 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 Garrard 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 Garrard 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.