Rockcastle County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Rockcastle County, Kentucky has a population of 16,163 across 317 square miles, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $431.6 m in 2024, 209 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $36,300.
108 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Rockcastle County
How many people live in Rockcastle County
- Population16,163
- Households6,534
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$48,862
- Median age42.8
- Median gross rent$676 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$123,600
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,507
- Population under 183,480
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over3,116
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,567
- Civilian labor force6,385
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties69th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2091st
Rockcastle County is the 69th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 19.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rockcastle County
Is Rockcastle County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.17 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,039
- Births, 2024164
- Deaths, 2024279
- Natural change, 2024-115
- Net domestic migration, 2024172
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024172
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024650
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1426th
The county has grown 1.17 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.
Rockcastle County
Where people moving to Rockcastle County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving383
- People arriving, from those returns813
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$39,869
- Largest single originRockcastle County Non-migrants (5,037 households)
- Largest single destination (5,037 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockcastle County Non-migrants | 5,037 | 11,128 | $248.4 m |
| Madison County | 121 | 269 | $6.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 91 | 175 | $3.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 86 | 169 | $3.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 39 | 76 | $1.1 m |
| Pulaski County | 30 | 59 | $990,000 |
| Lincoln County | 29 | 81 | $898,000 |
| Laurel County | 26 | 60 | $907,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rockcastle 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.
Rockcastle County
What the Rockcastle County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$431.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$428.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years21.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties85th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2495th
- GDP per resident$26,702
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 21.4 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.
Rockcastle County
Who employs people in Rockcastle County
- Covered employment, annual average4,008
- Establishments reporting278
- Average annual pay$41,657
- Average weekly wage$801
- Sector 44-45, employment292
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$26,189
- Sector 31-33, employment214
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$50,240
- Sector 54, employment162
- Sector 54, average annual pay$44,249
- Sector 52, employment82
- Sector 52, average annual pay$42,805
- Sector 56, employment48
- Sector 42, employment19
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 292 | 49 | $26,189 |
| Sector 31-33 | 214 | 14 | $50,240 |
| Sector 54 | 162 | 29 | $44,249 |
| Sector 52 | 82 | 17 | $42,805 |
| Sector 56 | 48 | 13 | $29,977 |
| Sector 42 | 19 | 7 | $39,946 |
| Sector 53 | 18 | 6 | $42,634 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 292 jobs, 7.3 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.
Rockcastle County
What businesses operate in Rockcastle County
- Establishments, all industries209
- Employment at those establishments3,060
- Annual payroll$123.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.9
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.
Rockcastle County
How much SBA lending happens in Rockcastle County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$36,300
- Average 7(a) approval$18,150
- Median 7(a) approval$26,300
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$26,300
- Largest single approval$26,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)0
- Jobs per approval0.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term48 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 shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (1)
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (1)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,861,500
- Median 504 approval$2,310,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval112.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved60.2
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.8 m
The average approval of $18,150 sits close to the median of $26,300, 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rockcastle County
Do SBA loans in Rockcastle County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Rockcastle County
Which parts of Rockcastle County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- MOUNT VERNON, approvals1
- LIVINGSTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MOUNT VERNON | 1 | $10,000 |
| LIVINGSTON | 1 | $26,300 |
MOUNT VERNON accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in LIVINGSTON. 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.
Rockcastle County
How big is Rockcastle County
- Land area317 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties57th of 120
- Width, east to west20.1 mi
- Height, north to south26.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land51
- Establishments per square mile0.66
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.
- The Building Permits Survey does not carry a 2024 record for this county.
- 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 Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,163
- Households6,534
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$48,862
- Median age42.8
Common questions
Rockcastle County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rockcastle County, Kentucky?
16,163, in 6,534 households, ranking 69th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rockcastle County growing?
The population has grown 1.17 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 164 births against 279 deaths, with net migration of 172. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rockcastle County?
$48,862. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,600, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $676 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rockcastle County?
209 establishments, employing 3,060 people with an annual payroll of $123.4 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 Rockcastle County?
Average annual pay is $41,657, or $801 a week, across 4,008 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rockcastle County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $36,300 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $26,300, plus 2 504 approvals worth $3.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is the radon zone for Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County come from?
The largest single origin is Rockcastle County Non-migrants, with 5,037 households. Arriving households report an average income of $39,869 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 Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle 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.