Graves County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Graves County, Kentucky has a population of 36,630 across 552 square miles, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.75 bn in 2024, 668 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 19 7(a) approvals worth $7.3 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Graves County
How many people live in Graves County
- Population36,630
- Households14,139
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$50,772
- Median age40.4
- Median gross rent$775 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$147,800
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,924
- Population under 188,849
- Share under 1824.2 percent
- Population 65 and over6,753
- Share 65 and over18.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,028
- Civilian labor force16,168
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties29th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1302nd
Graves County is the 29th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.2 percent against 18.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Graves County
Is Graves County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.45 percent
- Census 2020 base population36,655
- Births, 2024455
- Deaths, 2024486
- Natural change, 2024-31
- Net domestic migration, 2024101
- Net international migration, 2024153
- Total net migration, 2024254
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024246
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1669th
The county has grown 0.45 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.
Graves County
Where people moving to Graves County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving686
- People arriving, from those returns1,339
- Adjusted gross income arriving$32.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,206
- Largest single originGraves County Non-migrants (12,507 households)
- Largest single destination (12,507 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graves County Non-migrants | 12,507 | 26,999 | $764.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 287 | 565 | $14.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 150 | 282 | $6.6 m |
| McCracken County | 133 | 266 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 101 | 201 | $4.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 94 | 195 | $5.0 m |
| Calloway County | 73 | 127 | $2.9 m |
| Marshall County | 60 | 118 | $2.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Graves 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.
Graves County
What the Graves County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.75 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.67 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years39.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties31st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1392nd
- GDP per resident$47,878
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 39.0 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.
Graves County
Who employs people in Graves County
- Covered employment, annual average11,945
- Establishments reporting1,042
- Average annual pay$50,028
- Average weekly wage$962
- Sector 31-33, employment2,303
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$51,077
- Sector 44-45, employment1,486
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,933
- Sector 72, employment1,103
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,724
- Sector 42, employment688
- Sector 42, average annual pay$68,831
- Sector 23, employment410
- Sector 54, employment400
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,303 | 65 | $51,077 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,486 | 138 | $36,933 |
| Sector 72 | 1,103 | 58 | $17,724 |
| Sector 42 | 688 | 57 | $68,831 |
| Sector 23 | 410 | 108 | $53,371 |
| Sector 54 | 400 | 88 | $68,266 |
| Sector 56 | 399 | 46 | $46,925 |
| Sector 52 | 306 | 48 | $62,655 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,303 jobs, 19.3 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.
Graves County
What businesses operate in Graves County
- Establishments, all industries668
- Employment at those establishments9,905
- Annual payroll$441.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.2
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.
Graves County
What is being built in Graves County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$2.0 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$217,500
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Graves County
How much SBA lending happens in Graves County
- 7(a) approvals recorded19
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$386,463
- Median 7(a) approval$181,200
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,395,000
- Largest single approval$1,520,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)127
- Jobs per approval6.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer36.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals15.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countInsurance Agencies and Brokerages (3)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (11)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.8 m
- Average 504 approval$833,143
- Median 504 approval$163,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval8.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.5
- Most active CDCPurchase Area Development District (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$13.2 m
The average approval of $386,463 sits well above the median of $181,200, 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. 36.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Graves County
Do SBA loans in Graves County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
Graves County
Which parts of Graves County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- MAYFIELD, approvals17
- Hickory, approvals1
- WINGO, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MAYFIELD | 17 | $5,787,800 |
| Hickory | 1 | $35,000 |
| WINGO | 1 | $1,520,000 |
MAYFIELD accounts for 17 approvals against 1 in Hickory. 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.
Graves County
How big is Graves County
- Land area552 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties7th of 120
- Width, east to west18.5 mi
- Height, north to south30.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land66
- Establishments per square mile1.21
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 Graves 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 Graves County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population36,630
- Households14,139
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$50,772
- Median age40.4
Common questions
Graves County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Graves County, Kentucky?
36,630, in 14,139 households, ranking 29th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Graves County growing?
The population has grown 0.45 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 455 births against 486 deaths, with net migration of 254. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Graves County?
$50,772. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,800, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $775 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Graves County?
668 establishments, employing 9,905 people with an annual payroll of $441.3 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 Graves County?
Average annual pay is $50,028, or $962 a week, across 11,945 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Graves County?
19 7(a) approvals totalling $7.3 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $181,200, plus 7 504 approvals worth $5.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Graves County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Graves County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Graves County come from?
The largest single origin is Graves County Non-migrants, with 12,507 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,206 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 Graves 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 Graves 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.