Jefferson County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Kentucky has a population of 783,022 across 380 square miles, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $78.80 bn in 2024, 20,164 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 817 7(a) approvals worth $416.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population783,022
- Households331,554
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$69,866
- Median age38.4
- Median gross rent$1,149 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$248,400
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over543,045
- Population under 18174,276
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over134,317
- Share 65 and over17.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64474,429
- Civilian labor force409,977
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties1st of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents84th
Jefferson County is the 1st largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.3 percent against 17.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.39 percent
- Census 2020 base population782,987
- Births, 20249,653
- Deaths, 20248,328
- Natural change, 20241,325
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4,606
- Net international migration, 202413,807
- Total net migration, 20249,201
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-21,092
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1371st
The county has grown 1.39 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.
Jefferson County
Where people moving to Jefferson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving15,709
- People arriving, from those returns25,437
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.10 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$69,779
- Largest single originJefferson County Non-migrants (301,346 households)
- Largest single destination (301,346 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County Non-migrants | 301,346 | 569,805 | $26.36 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,013 | 6,861 | $274.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,767 | 3,051 | $121.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,217 | 1,992 | $77.3 m |
| Bullitt County | 1,132 | 1,811 | $53.9 m |
| Oldham County | 768 | 1,300 | $72.3 m |
| Clark County | 670 | 1,010 | $29.8 m |
| Fayette County | 560 | 786 | $62.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County
What the Jefferson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$78.80 bn
- County GDP, 2023$76.18 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.4 percent
- GDP change over five years31.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents67th
- GDP per resident$100,640
Output grew 3.4 percent in the latest year and 31.7 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.
Jefferson County
Who employs people in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average482,313
- Establishments reporting33,844
- Average annual pay$71,280
- Average weekly wage$1,371
- Sector 62, employment75,328
- Sector 62, average annual pay$72,064
- Sector 31-33, employment53,624
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$86,327
- Sector 72, employment42,357
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,738
- Sector 44-45, employment42,311
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$42,326
- Sector 48-49, employment41,677
- Sector 56, employment32,083
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 75,328 | 4,636 | $72,064 |
| Sector 31-33 | 53,624 | 1,445 | $86,327 |
| Sector 72 | 42,357 | 2,184 | $28,738 |
| Sector 44-45 | 42,311 | 3,117 | $42,326 |
| Sector 48-49 | 41,677 | 913 | $79,166 |
| Sector 56 | 32,083 | 2,246 | $49,596 |
| Sector 52 | 27,718 | 2,105 | $108,582 |
| Sector 54 | 26,871 | 6,062 | $92,306 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 75,328 jobs, 15.6 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.
Jefferson County
What businesses operate in Jefferson County
- Establishments, all industries20,164
- Employment at those establishments470,153
- Annual payroll$30.32 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.8
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.
Jefferson County
What is being built in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,863
- Declared construction value permitted$533.4 m
- Single family units authorised1,173
- Multifamily units authorised1,690
- Multifamily share of units59.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$186,306
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.6
Multifamily is 59.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded817
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$416.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$509,518
- Median 7(a) approval$190,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,335,100
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9,287
- Jobs per approval11.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active81
- Distinct industries receiving approvals230
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms92
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter690
- Franchise loans153
- Franchise share of approvals18.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (41)
- Most active lenderRepublic Bank & Trust Company (132)
- 504 approvals recorded149
- 504 gross approval dollars$102.1 m
- Average 504 approval$685,336
- Median 504 approval$488,000
- Distinct CDCs active9
- 504 jobs per approval12.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.6
- Most active CDCCapital Access Corporation - Kentucky (89)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$518.4 m
The average approval of $509,518 sits well above the median of $190,000, 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 11.3 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.
Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded179
- Paid in full171
- Charged off8
- Charge off rate on resolved loans4.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full171
- Status: Cancelled87
- Status: Exempt from disclosure502
- Status: Charged off8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed49
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 484121 | General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 179 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.5 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. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload carries the highest charge off rate at 0.0 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
Which parts of Jefferson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- Louisville, approvals782
- PROSPECT, approvals18
- Lousiville, approvals4
- FAIRDALE, approvals3
- Lousville, approvals2
- Jefferson, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 782 | $404,021,900 |
| PROSPECT | 18 | $9,003,600 |
| Lousiville | 4 | $806,800 |
| FAIRDALE | 3 | $320,000 |
| Lousville | 2 | $200,100 |
| Jefferson | 2 | $647,600 |
| FRANKFORT | 1 | $150,000 |
| FISHERVILLE | 1 | $20,700 |
Louisville accounts for 782 approvals against 18 in PROSPECT. 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.
Jefferson County
How big is Jefferson County
- Land area380 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties38th of 120
- Width, east to west29.5 mi
- Height, north to south26.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land2,061
- Establishments per square mile53.06
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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population783,022
- Households331,554
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$69,866
- Median age38.4
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Kentucky?
783,022, in 331,554 households, ranking 1st of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County growing?
The population has grown 1.39 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 9,653 births against 8,328 deaths, with net migration of 9,201. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$69,866. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $248,400, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,149 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Jefferson County?
20,164 establishments, employing 470,153 people with an annual payroll of $30.32 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 Jefferson County?
Average annual pay is $71,280, or $1,371 a week, across 482,313 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
817 7(a) approvals totalling $416.3 m since FY2020, across 81 lenders, with a median approval of $190,000, plus 149 504 approvals worth $102.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
Of the 179 loans that have reached a final outcome, 171 were paid in full and 8 charged off, a charge off rate of 4.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Jefferson County?
2,863 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $533.4 m. Multifamily was 59.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Jefferson County Non-migrants, with 301,346 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,779 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.