Letcher County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Letcher County, Kentucky has a population of 20,808 across 338 square miles, down 6.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $538.8 m in 2024, 277 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $389,000.
109 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Letcher County
How many people live in Letcher County
- Population20,808
- Households8,463
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$41,793
- Median age43.5
- Median gross rent$669 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$67,400
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,909
- Population under 184,542
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over4,340
- Share 65 and over20.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,926
- Civilian labor force7,230
- Unemployment rate6.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.4 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties55th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1833rd
Letcher County is the 55th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.8 percent against 20.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Letcher County
Is Letcher County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-6.55 percent
- Census 2020 base population21,550
- Births, 2024193
- Deaths, 2024374
- Natural change, 2024-181
- Net domestic migration, 2024-95
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024-95
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-443
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3068th
The county has lost 6.55 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Letcher County
Where people moving to Letcher County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving210
- People arriving, from those returns418
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$34,433
- Largest single originLetcher County Non-migrants (5,921 households)
- Largest single destination (5,921 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County Non-migrants | 5,921 | 13,205 | $297.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 107 | 207 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 54 | 97 | $2.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 34 | 63 | $931,000 |
| Pike County | 26 | 67 | $901,000 |
| Knott County | 23 | 47 | $428,000 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 20 | 34 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Letcher 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.
Letcher County
What the Letcher County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$538.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$547.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.6 percent
- GDP change over five years50.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties71st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2358th
- GDP per resident$25,894
Output grew -1.6 percent in the latest year and 50.8 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.
Letcher County
Who employs people in Letcher County
- Covered employment, annual average4,258
- Establishments reporting500
- Average annual pay$45,995
- Average weekly wage$885
- Sector 44-45, employment726
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,859
- Sector 72, employment303
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,648
- Sector 48-49, employment124
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$50,553
- Sector 52, employment80
- Sector 52, average annual pay$44,692
- Sector 81, employment76
- Sector 23, employment67
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 726 | 66 | $25,859 |
| Sector 72 | 303 | 23 | $18,648 |
| Sector 48-49 | 124 | 22 | $50,553 |
| Sector 52 | 80 | 21 | $44,692 |
| Sector 81 | 76 | 28 | $50,001 |
| Sector 23 | 67 | 16 | $39,202 |
| Sector 31-33 | 64 | 11 | $45,032 |
| Sector 56 | 54 | 11 | $34,205 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 726 jobs, 17.1 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.
Letcher County
What businesses operate in Letcher County
- Establishments, all industries277
- Employment at those establishments3,171
- Annual payroll$147.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.3
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.
Letcher County
What is being built in Letcher County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$160,000
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$160,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Letcher County
How much SBA lending happens in Letcher County
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$389,000
- Average 7(a) approval$64,833
- Median 7(a) approval$85,000
- 10th percentile approval$16,000
- 90th percentile approval$142,000
- Largest single approval$142,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)20
- Jobs per approval3.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term72 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 shorter6
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMobile Food Services (2)
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (6)
The average approval of $64,833 sits close to the median of $85,000, 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.
Letcher County
Do SBA loans in Letcher County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Letcher County
Which parts of Letcher County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- WHITESBURG, approvals1
- JENKINS, approvals1
- MILLSTONE, approvals1
- MAYKING, approvals1
- ISOM, approvals1
- JEREMIAH, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WHITESBURG | 1 | $142,000 |
| JENKINS | 1 | $30,000 |
| MILLSTONE | 1 | $85,000 |
| MAYKING | 1 | $16,000 |
| ISOM | 1 | $100,000 |
| JEREMIAH | 1 | $16,000 |
WHITESBURG accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in JENKINS. 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.
Letcher County
How big is Letcher County
- Land area338 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties53rd of 120
- Width, east to west32.3 mi
- Height, north to south21.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land62
- Establishments per square mile0.82
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 Letcher 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 Letcher County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population20,808
- Households8,463
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$41,793
- Median age43.5
Common questions
Letcher County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Letcher County, Kentucky?
20,808, in 8,463 households, ranking 55th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Letcher County growing?
The population has fallen 6.55 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 193 births against 374 deaths, with net migration of -95. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Letcher County?
$41,793. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $67,400, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $669 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Letcher County?
277 establishments, employing 3,171 people with an annual payroll of $147.8 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 Letcher County?
Average annual pay is $45,995, or $885 a week, across 4,258 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Letcher County?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $389,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $85,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Letcher County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $160,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Letcher 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 Letcher County come from?
The largest single origin is Letcher County Non-migrants, with 5,921 households. Arriving households report an average income of $34,433 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 Letcher 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 Letcher 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.