Rowan County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Rowan County, Kentucky has a population of 24,578 across 280 square miles, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.07 bn in 2024, 532 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $2.7 m.
113 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Rowan County
How many people live in Rowan County
- Population24,578
- Households9,592
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$54,321
- Median age31.7
- Median gross rent$825 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$161,800
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,409
- Population under 184,821
- Share under 1819.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,683
- Share 65 and over15.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,074
- Civilian labor force11,492
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties46th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1677th
Rowan County is the 46th 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 19.6 percent against 15.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rowan County
Is Rowan County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.09 percent
- Census 2020 base population24,654
- Births, 2024290
- Deaths, 2024257
- Natural change, 202433
- Net domestic migration, 202485
- Net international migration, 202453
- Total net migration, 2024138
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-162
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1794th
The county has grown 0.09 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.
Rowan County
Where people moving to Rowan County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving673
- People arriving, from those returns1,196
- Adjusted gross income arriving$26.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$38,837
- Largest single originRowan County Non-migrants (7,132 households)
- Largest single destination (7,132 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County Non-migrants | 7,132 | 14,652 | $417.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 203 | 322 | $7.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 190 | 358 | $9.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 87 | 179 | $4.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 70 | 112 | $3.3 m |
| Carter County | 51 | 97 | $1.7 m |
| Fleming County | 51 | 108 | $1.4 m |
| Fayette County | 38 | 60 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rowan 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.
Rowan County
What the Rowan County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.07 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.01 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.7 percent
- GDP change over five years37.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties48th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1794th
- GDP per resident$43,457
Output grew 5.7 percent in the latest year and 37.4 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.
Rowan County
Who employs people in Rowan County
- Covered employment, annual average10,490
- Establishments reporting808
- Average annual pay$48,895
- Average weekly wage$940
- Sector 31-33, employment1,389
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$55,958
- Sector 44-45, employment1,347
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,045
- Sector 48-49, employment480
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$45,784
- Sector 52, employment243
- Sector 52, average annual pay$58,225
- Sector 81, employment152
- Sector 56, employment144
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,389 | 37 | $55,958 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,347 | 114 | $32,045 |
| Sector 48-49 | 480 | 26 | $45,784 |
| Sector 52 | 243 | 48 | $58,225 |
| Sector 81 | 152 | 48 | $24,224 |
| Sector 56 | 144 | 33 | $40,416 |
| Sector 53 | 94 | 30 | $37,000 |
| Sector 51 | 68 | 15 | $71,631 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,389 jobs, 13.2 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.
Rowan County
What businesses operate in Rowan County
- Establishments, all industries532
- Employment at those establishments8,319
- Annual payroll$367.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.6
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.
Rowan County
What is being built in Rowan County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202445
- Declared construction value permitted$11.2 m
- Single family units authorised5
- Multifamily units authorised40
- Multifamily share of units88.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$248,520
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.7
Multifamily is 88.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rowan County
How much SBA lending happens in Rowan County
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$343,688
- Median 7(a) approval$315,000
- 10th percentile approval$17,900
- 90th percentile approval$830,000
- Largest single approval$830,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)55
- Jobs per approval6.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals12.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSupermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores (2)
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (2)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$636,000
- Average 504 approval$318,000
- Median 504 approval$358,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved23.6
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.4 m
The average approval of $343,688 sits close to the median of $315,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 25.0 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.
Rowan County
Do SBA loans in Rowan County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Rowan County
How big is Rowan County
- Land area280 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties73rd of 120
- Width, east to west21.3 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land88
- Establishments per square mile1.90
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 Rowan 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 Rowan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population24,578
- Households9,592
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$54,321
- Median age31.7
Common questions
Rowan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rowan County, Kentucky?
24,578, in 9,592 households, ranking 46th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rowan County growing?
The population has grown 0.09 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 290 births against 257 deaths, with net migration of 138. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rowan County?
$54,321. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $161,800, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $825 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rowan County?
532 establishments, employing 8,319 people with an annual payroll of $367.3 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 Rowan County?
Average annual pay is $48,895, or $940 a week, across 10,490 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rowan County?
8 7(a) approvals totalling $2.7 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $315,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $636,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Rowan County?
45 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.2 m. Multifamily was 88.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rowan 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 Rowan County come from?
The largest single origin is Rowan County Non-migrants, with 7,132 households. Arriving households report an average income of $38,837 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 Rowan 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 Rowan 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.