Hardin County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Hardin County, Kentucky has a population of 111,942 across 623 square miles, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.34 bn in 2024, 2,253 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 50 7(a) approvals worth $41.7 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Hardin County
How many people live in Hardin County
- Population111,942
- Households44,622
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$67,647
- Median age37.3
- Median gross rent$971 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$225,800
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over74,893
- Population under 1827,635
- Share under 1824.7 percent
- Population 65 and over16,922
- Share 65 and over15.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6467,385
- Civilian labor force51,559
- Unemployment rate6.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.2 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties6th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents563rd
Hardin County is the 6th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.7 percent against 15.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hardin County
Is Hardin County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.92 percent
- Census 2020 base population110,703
- Births, 20241,301
- Deaths, 20241,230
- Natural change, 202471
- Net domestic migration, 2024-118
- Net international migration, 2024472
- Total net migration, 2024354
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024706
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1187th
The county has grown 1.92 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.
Hardin County
Where people moving to Hardin County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,646
- People arriving, from those returns7,485
- Adjusted gross income arriving$196.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,872
- Largest single originHardin County Non-migrants (39,564 households)
- Largest single destination (39,564 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County Non-migrants | 39,564 | 82,359 | $2.68 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,545 | 3,367 | $95.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 755 | 1,666 | $47.6 m |
| Jefferson County | 463 | 824 | $22.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 400 | 827 | $22.6 m |
| Meade County | 310 | 627 | $13.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 307 | 523 | $13.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 275 | 609 | $17.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hardin 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.
Hardin County
What the Hardin County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.34 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.15 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years33.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents564th
- GDP per resident$65,580
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 33.2 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.
Hardin County
Who employs people in Hardin County
- Covered employment, annual average48,897
- Establishments reporting3,704
- Average annual pay$55,787
- Average weekly wage$1,073
- Sector 31-33, employment8,654
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$71,142
- Sector 44-45, employment6,077
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,604
- Sector 62, employment5,498
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,603
- Sector 72, employment5,210
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,363
- Sector 56, employment2,386
- Sector 23, employment1,971
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 8,654 | 136 | $71,142 |
| Sector 44-45 | 6,077 | 438 | $34,604 |
| Sector 62 | 5,498 | 730 | $61,603 |
| Sector 72 | 5,210 | 271 | $23,363 |
| Sector 56 | 2,386 | 228 | $43,787 |
| Sector 23 | 1,971 | 277 | $92,267 |
| Sector 54 | 1,785 | 444 | $76,930 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,153 | 92 | $51,011 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,654 jobs, 17.7 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.
Hardin County
What businesses operate in Hardin County
- Establishments, all industries2,253
- Employment at those establishments36,716
- Annual payroll$1.71 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.1
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.
Hardin County
What is being built in Hardin County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024945
- Declared construction value permitted$162.9 m
- Single family units authorised391
- Multifamily units authorised554
- Multifamily share of units58.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$172,345
- Units authorised per 1,000 households21.2
Multifamily is 58.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hardin County
How much SBA lending happens in Hardin County
- 7(a) approvals recorded50
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$833,732
- Median 7(a) approval$317,500
- 10th percentile approval$63,400
- 90th percentile approval$2,537,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)727
- Jobs per approval14.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active25
- Distinct industries receiving approvals36
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter39
- Franchise loans16
- Franchise share of approvals32.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (4)
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (8)
- 504 approvals recorded12
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.3 m
- Average 504 approval$611,333
- Median 504 approval$590,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval14.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.3
- Most active CDCCapital Access Corporation - Kentucky (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$49.0 m
The average approval of $833,732 sits well above the median of $317,500, 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 16.0 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hardin County
Do SBA loans in Hardin County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full6
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure35
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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.
Hardin County
Which parts of Hardin County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- Elizabethtown, approvals28
- RADCLIFF, approvals8
- Rineyville, approvals7
- VINE GROVE, approvals3
- GLENDALE, approvals2
- FORT KNOX, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown | 28 | $32,034,000 |
| RADCLIFF | 8 | $5,945,300 |
| Rineyville | 7 | $2,667,300 |
| VINE GROVE | 3 | $510,000 |
| GLENDALE | 2 | $330,000 |
| FORT KNOX | 1 | $150,000 |
| CECILIA | 1 | $50,000 |
Elizabethtown accounts for 28 approvals against 8 in RADCLIFF. 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.
Hardin County
How big is Hardin County
- Land area623 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties4th of 120
- Width, east to west32.5 mi
- Height, north to south39.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land180
- Establishments per square mile3.62
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 Hardin 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 Hardin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population111,942
- Households44,622
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$67,647
- Median age37.3
Common questions
Hardin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hardin County, Kentucky?
111,942, in 44,622 households, ranking 6th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hardin County growing?
The population has grown 1.92 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,301 births against 1,230 deaths, with net migration of 354. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hardin County?
$67,647. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $225,800, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $971 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hardin County?
2,253 establishments, employing 36,716 people with an annual payroll of $1.71 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 Hardin County?
Average annual pay is $55,787, or $1,073 a week, across 48,897 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hardin County?
50 7(a) approvals totalling $41.7 m since FY2020, across 25 lenders, with a median approval of $317,500, plus 12 504 approvals worth $7.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hardin County?
945 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $162.9 m. Multifamily was 58.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hardin 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 Hardin County come from?
The largest single origin is Hardin County Non-migrants, with 39,564 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,872 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 Hardin 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 Hardin 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.