Harlan County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Harlan County, Kentucky has a population of 25,772 across 466 square miles, down 6.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $759.8 m in 2024, 370 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $257,000.
98 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Harlan County
How many people live in Harlan County
- Population25,772
- Households10,731
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$41,693
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$678 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$73,700
- Home value to household income1.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,958
- Population under 186,120
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over5,020
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6414,632
- Civilian labor force8,476
- Unemployment rate9.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.1 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties44th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1624th
Harlan County is the 44th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 1.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 percent against 19.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Harlan County
Is Harlan County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-6.64 percent
- Census 2020 base population26,834
- Births, 2024305
- Deaths, 2024502
- Natural change, 2024-197
- Net domestic migration, 2024-52
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024-53
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-711
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3070th
The county has lost 6.64 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Harlan County
Where people moving to Harlan County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving188
- People arriving, from those returns353
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$33,059
- Largest single originHarlan County Non-migrants (7,231 households)
- Largest single destination (7,231 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County Non-migrants | 7,231 | 16,444 | $299.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 85 | 160 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 85 | 160 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 79 | 141 | $2.5 m |
| Bell County | 24 | 52 | $503,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Harlan 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.
Harlan County
What the Harlan County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$759.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$738.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years47.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties58th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2068th
- GDP per resident$29,483
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 47.2 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.
Harlan County
Who employs people in Harlan County
- Covered employment, annual average6,280
- Establishments reporting525
- Average annual pay$44,461
- Average weekly wage$855
- Sector 44-45, employment846
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$26,783
- Sector 72, employment455
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,233
- Sector 54, employment232
- Sector 54, average annual pay$74,850
- Sector 81, employment123
- Sector 81, average annual pay$29,105
- Sector 42, employment114
- Sector 52, employment112
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 846 | 90 | $26,783 |
| Sector 72 | 455 | 32 | $16,233 |
| Sector 54 | 232 | 48 | $74,850 |
| Sector 81 | 123 | 44 | $29,105 |
| Sector 42 | 114 | 24 | $49,072 |
| Sector 52 | 112 | 23 | $42,781 |
| Sector 56 | 96 | 10 | $38,055 |
| Sector 23 | 86 | 25 | $36,147 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 846 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Harlan County
What businesses operate in Harlan County
- Establishments, all industries370
- Employment at those establishments4,652
- Annual payroll$190.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.4
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.
Harlan County
What is being built in Harlan 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.
Harlan County
How much SBA lending happens in Harlan County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$257,000
- Average 7(a) approval$257,000
- Median 7(a) approval$257,000
- 10th percentile approval$257,000
- 90th percentile approval$257,000
- Largest single approval$257,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3
- Jobs per approval3.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term156 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 shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Lawyers (1)
- Most active lenderGerman American Bank (1)
The average approval of $257,000 sits close to the median of $257,000, 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.
Harlan County
Do SBA loans in Harlan County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Harlan County
How big is Harlan County
- Land area466 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties17th of 120
- Width, east to west36.3 mi
- Height, north to south24.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land55
- Establishments per square mile0.79
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 Harlan 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 Harlan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population25,772
- Households10,731
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$41,693
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Harlan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Harlan County, Kentucky?
25,772, in 10,731 households, ranking 44th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Harlan County growing?
The population has fallen 6.64 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 305 births against 502 deaths, with net migration of -53. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Harlan County?
$41,693. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $73,700, which is 1.8 times income, and median gross rent is $678 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Harlan County?
370 establishments, employing 4,652 people with an annual payroll of $190.5 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 Harlan County?
Average annual pay is $44,461, or $855 a week, across 6,280 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Harlan County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $257,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $257,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Harlan 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 Harlan 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 Harlan County come from?
The largest single origin is Harlan County Non-migrants, with 7,231 households. Arriving households report an average income of $33,059 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 Harlan 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 Harlan 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.