Kenton County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Kenton County, Kentucky has a population of 171,288 across 160 square miles, up 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $12.39 bn in 2024, 3,297 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 237 7(a) approvals worth $99.2 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Kenton County
How many people live in Kenton County
- Population171,288
- Households67,367
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$80,548
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$1,069 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$244,400
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over117,534
- Population under 1839,980
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over26,958
- Share 65 and over15.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64104,350
- Civilian labor force92,927
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.8 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties3rd of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents401st
Kenton County is the 3rd largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.3 percent against 15.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kenton County
Is Kenton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.44 percent
- Census 2020 base population169,039
- Births, 20242,099
- Deaths, 20241,364
- Natural change, 2024735
- Net domestic migration, 2024668
- Net international migration, 20241,208
- Total net migration, 20241,876
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024640
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents785th
The county has grown 3.44 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.
Kenton County
Where people moving to Kenton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,976
- People arriving, from those returns9,696
- Adjusted gross income arriving$384.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$64,252
- Largest single originKenton County Non-migrants (62,848 households)
- Largest single destination (62,848 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenton County Non-migrants | 62,848 | 126,447 | $6.63 bn |
| Boone County | 1,508 | 2,680 | $86.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,281 | 2,095 | $101.2 m |
| Hamilton County | 965 | 1,412 | $65.6 m |
| Campbell County | 908 | 1,455 | $55.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 533 | 908 | $39.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 420 | 635 | $38.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 277 | 453 | $12.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Kenton 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.
Kenton County
What the Kenton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$12.39 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.70 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.9 percent
- GDP change over five years28.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents377th
- GDP per resident$72,342
Output grew 5.9 percent in the latest year and 28.8 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.
Kenton County
Who employs people in Kenton County
- Covered employment, annual average74,672
- Establishments reporting5,970
- Average annual pay$71,985
- Average weekly wage$1,384
- Sector 62, employment12,656
- Sector 62, average annual pay$75,434
- Sector 72, employment7,759
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,797
- Sector 31-33, employment7,093
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$90,663
- Sector 48-49, employment5,956
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$88,668
- Sector 44-45, employment5,825
- Sector 54, employment4,491
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 12,656 | 693 | $75,434 |
| Sector 72 | 7,759 | 386 | $25,797 |
| Sector 31-33 | 7,093 | 322 | $90,663 |
| Sector 48-49 | 5,956 | 176 | $88,668 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,825 | 479 | $37,538 |
| Sector 54 | 4,491 | 1,110 | $102,597 |
| Sector 52 | 4,005 | 387 | $110,455 |
| Sector 23 | 3,440 | 430 | $82,615 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 12,656 jobs, 16.9 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.
Kenton County
What businesses operate in Kenton County
- Establishments, all industries3,297
- Employment at those establishments68,018
- Annual payroll$4.39 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.2
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.
Kenton County
What is being built in Kenton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024699
- Declared construction value permitted$290.3 m
- Single family units authorised366
- Multifamily units authorised333
- Multifamily share of units47.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$415,310
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.4
Multifamily is 47.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kenton County
How much SBA lending happens in Kenton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded237
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$99.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$418,456
- Median 7(a) approval$134,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,047,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,024
- Jobs per approval8.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active36
- Distinct industries receiving approvals96
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms17
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter209
- Franchise loans32
- Franchise share of approvals13.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (14)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (100)
- 504 approvals recorded30
- 504 gross approval dollars$19.2 m
- Average 504 approval$640,833
- Median 504 approval$436,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCAlloy Development Co., Inc. (20)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals88.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$118.4 m
The average approval of $418,456 sits well above the median of $134,000, 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 7.2 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.
Kenton County
Do SBA loans in Kenton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded58
- Paid in full56
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.4 percent
- Status: Paid in full56
- Status: Exempt from disclosure144
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed18
Of the 58 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.4 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kenton County
Which parts of Kenton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending26
- Covington, approvals72
- INDEPENDENCE, approvals41
- Erlanger, approvals31
- FT MITCHELL, approvals25
- CRESTVIEW HILLS, approvals13
- Villa Hills, approvals7
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Covington | 72 | $31,214,100 |
| INDEPENDENCE | 41 | $13,177,200 |
| Erlanger | 31 | $10,402,000 |
| FT MITCHELL | 25 | $6,906,000 |
| CRESTVIEW HILLS | 13 | $9,122,400 |
| Villa Hills | 7 | $2,917,400 |
| Fort Mitchell | 6 | $1,583,000 |
| Crescent Springs | 6 | $966,100 |
Covington accounts for 72 approvals against 41 in INDEPENDENCE. 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.
Kenton County
How big is Kenton County
- Land area160 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties115th of 120
- Width, east to west11.1 mi
- Height, north to south21 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land1,071
- Establishments per square mile20.61
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 Kenton 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 Kenton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population171,288
- Households67,367
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$80,548
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Kenton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kenton County, Kentucky?
171,288, in 67,367 households, ranking 3rd of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kenton County growing?
The population has grown 3.44 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,099 births against 1,364 deaths, with net migration of 1,876. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kenton County?
$80,548. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $244,400, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,069 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Kenton County?
3,297 establishments, employing 68,018 people with an annual payroll of $4.39 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 Kenton County?
Average annual pay is $71,985, or $1,384 a week, across 74,672 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kenton County?
237 7(a) approvals totalling $99.2 m since FY2020, across 36 lenders, with a median approval of $134,000, plus 30 504 approvals worth $19.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kenton County get paid back?
Of the 58 loans that have reached a final outcome, 56 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Kenton County?
699 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $290.3 m. Multifamily was 47.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kenton 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 Kenton County come from?
The largest single origin is Kenton County Non-migrants, with 62,848 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,252 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 Kenton 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 Kenton 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.