Meade County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Meade County, Kentucky has a population of 30,158 across 305 square miles, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.00 bn in 2024, 362 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $1.9 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Meade County
How many people live in Meade County
- Population30,158
- Households11,007
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$74,355
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$1,026 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$207,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,203
- Population under 186,607
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over4,708
- Share 65 and over15.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6418,843
- Civilian labor force14,909
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties35th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1477th
Meade County is the 35th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 15.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Meade County
Is Meade County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.45 percent
- Census 2020 base population30,007
- Births, 2024273
- Deaths, 2024284
- Natural change, 2024-11
- Net domestic migration, 2024284
- Net international migration, 20248
- Total net migration, 2024292
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024553
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1351st
The county has grown 1.45 percent 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.
Meade County
Where people moving to Meade County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,128
- People arriving, from those returns2,508
- Adjusted gross income arriving$63.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,385
- Largest single originMeade County Non-migrants (10,424 households)
- Largest single destination (10,424 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County Non-migrants | 10,424 | 22,872 | $735.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 468 | 1,154 | $28.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 239 | 605 | $16.6 m |
| Hardin County | 238 | 488 | $12.8 m |
| Jefferson County | 209 | 421 | $11.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 120 | 278 | $6.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 87 | 175 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 81 | 201 | $4.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Meade 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.
Meade County
What the Meade County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.00 bn
- County GDP, 2023$819.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202422.3 percent
- GDP change over five years74.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties50th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1839th
- GDP per resident$33,253
Output grew 22.3 percent in the latest year and 74.5 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.
Meade County
Who employs people in Meade County
- Covered employment, annual average5,262
- Establishments reporting551
- Average annual pay$58,826
- Average weekly wage$1,131
- Sector 31-33, employment876
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$122,633
- Sector 23, employment682
- Sector 23, average annual pay$67,637
- Sector 44-45, employment612
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,432
- Sector 72, employment491
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,709
- Sector 54, employment226
- Sector 81, employment174
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 876 | 20 | $122,633 |
| Sector 23 | 682 | 66 | $67,637 |
| Sector 44-45 | 612 | 67 | $35,432 |
| Sector 72 | 491 | 44 | $20,709 |
| Sector 54 | 226 | 62 | $67,695 |
| Sector 81 | 174 | 43 | $27,552 |
| Sector 52 | 139 | 23 | $55,983 |
| Sector 21 | 129 | 7 | $76,455 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 876 jobs, 16.6 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.
Meade County
What businesses operate in Meade County
- Establishments, all industries362
- Employment at those establishments3,633
- Annual payroll$157.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.0
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.
Meade County
What is being built in Meade County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024124
- Declared construction value permitted$34.3 m
- Single family units authorised122
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units1.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$276,963
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.3
Multifamily is 1.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Meade County
How much SBA lending happens in Meade County
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$207,867
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$439,000
- Largest single approval$439,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)29
- Jobs per approval3.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSporting Goods Retailers (2)
- Most active lenderGerman American Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$739,000
- Median 504 approval$903,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.5
- Most active CDCCapital Access Corporation - Kentucky (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.3 m
The average approval of $207,867 sits close to the median of $200,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 22.2 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.
Meade County
Do SBA loans in Meade County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Meade County
Which parts of Meade County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- BRANDENBURG, approvals6
- Ekron, approvals2
- Bowling Green, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BRANDENBURG | 6 | $917,800 |
| Ekron | 2 | $878,000 |
| Bowling Green | 1 | $75,000 |
BRANDENBURG accounts for 6 approvals against 2 in Ekron. 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.
Meade County
How big is Meade County
- Land area305 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties62nd of 120
- Width, east to west28.1 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land99
- Establishments per square mile1.19
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 Meade 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 Meade County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population30,158
- Households11,007
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$74,355
- Median age39.5
Common questions
Meade County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Meade County, Kentucky?
30,158, in 11,007 households, ranking 35th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Meade County growing?
The population has grown 1.45 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 273 births against 284 deaths, with net migration of 292. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Meade County?
$74,355. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $207,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,026 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Meade County?
362 establishments, employing 3,633 people with an annual payroll of $157.9 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 Meade County?
Average annual pay is $58,826, or $1,131 a week, across 5,262 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Meade County?
9 7(a) approvals totalling $1.9 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Meade County?
124 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $34.3 m. Multifamily was 1.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Meade 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 Meade County come from?
The largest single origin is Meade County Non-migrants, with 10,424 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,385 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 Meade 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 Meade 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.