Mason County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Mason County, Kentucky has a population of 16,956 across 240 square miles, down 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.54 bn in 2024, 404 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 15 7(a) approvals worth $6.7 m.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Mason County
How many people live in Mason County
- Population16,956
- Households7,131
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$52,178
- Median age42.5
- Median gross rent$727 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$161,500
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,963
- Population under 183,790
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,346
- Share 65 and over19.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,820
- Civilian labor force7,522
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.1 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties67th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2039th
Mason County is the 67th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.4 percent against 19.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mason County
Is Mason County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.99 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,125
- Births, 2024177
- Deaths, 2024206
- Natural change, 2024-29
- Net domestic migration, 202486
- Net international migration, 202440
- Total net migration, 2024126
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-17
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2185th
The county has lost 0.99 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mason County
Where people moving to Mason County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving411
- People arriving, from those returns824
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,509
- Largest single originMason County Non-migrants (5,986 households)
- Largest single destination (5,986 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County Non-migrants | 5,986 | 12,388 | $380.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 135 | 281 | $8.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 117 | 210 | $6.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 69 | 150 | $3.6 m |
| Fleming County | 49 | 98 | $2.6 m |
| Bracken County | 45 | 97 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 44 | 92 | $3.2 m |
| Lewis County | 35 | 64 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Mason 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.
Mason County
What the Mason County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.54 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.54 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.3 percent
- GDP change over five years31.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties35th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1495th
- GDP per resident$91,018
Output grew 0.3 percent in the latest year and 31.5 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.
Mason County
Who employs people in Mason County
- Covered employment, annual average7,910
- Establishments reporting717
- Average annual pay$50,145
- Average weekly wage$964
- Sector 44-45, employment1,308
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,092
- Sector 31-33, employment1,152
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,954
- Sector 72, employment853
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,003
- Sector 23, employment448
- Sector 23, average annual pay$74,564
- Sector 48-49, employment280
- Sector 56, employment277
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,308 | 95 | $33,092 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,152 | 30 | $65,954 |
| Sector 72 | 853 | 58 | $19,003 |
| Sector 23 | 448 | 42 | $74,564 |
| Sector 48-49 | 280 | 16 | $74,018 |
| Sector 56 | 277 | 24 | $33,584 |
| Sector 52 | 170 | 40 | $54,822 |
| Sector 81 | 167 | 53 | $29,549 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,308 jobs, 16.5 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.
Mason County
What businesses operate in Mason County
- Establishments, all industries404
- Employment at those establishments6,951
- Annual payroll$336.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.8
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.
Mason County
What is being built in Mason County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202430
- Declared construction value permitted$8.8 m
- Single family units authorised28
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units6.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$292,974
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.2
Multifamily is 6.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mason County
How much SBA lending happens in Mason County
- 7(a) approvals recorded15
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$448,053
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$28,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,620,000
- Largest single approval$1,709,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)145
- Jobs per approval9.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals13.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (3)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (7)
The average approval of $448,053 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 20.0 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.
Mason County
Do SBA loans in Mason County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Cancelled3
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.
Mason County
Which parts of Mason County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- MAYSVILLE, approvals14
- MAYSLICK, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MAYSVILLE | 14 | $6,678,000 |
| MAYSLICK | 1 | $42,800 |
MAYSVILLE accounts for 14 approvals against 1 in MAYSLICK. 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.
Mason County
How big is Mason County
- Land area240 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties89th of 120
- Width, east to west18.9 mi
- Height, north to south21.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land71
- Establishments per square mile1.68
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 Mason 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 Mason County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,956
- Households7,131
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$52,178
- Median age42.5
Common questions
Mason County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mason County, Kentucky?
16,956, in 7,131 households, ranking 67th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mason County growing?
The population has fallen 0.99 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 177 births against 206 deaths, with net migration of 126. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mason County?
$52,178. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $161,500, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $727 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mason County?
404 establishments, employing 6,951 people with an annual payroll of $336.4 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 Mason County?
Average annual pay is $50,145, or $964 a week, across 7,910 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mason County?
15 7(a) approvals totalling $6.7 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mason County?
30 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.8 m. Multifamily was 6.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mason 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 Mason County come from?
The largest single origin is Mason County Non-migrants, with 5,986 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,509 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 Mason 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 Mason 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.