HomeMassachusettsFranklin County
Franklin County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Franklin County, Massachusetts has a population of 70,944 across 699 square miles, down 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.70 bn in 2024, 1,549 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 64 7(a) approvals worth $20.9 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Franklin County
How many people live in Franklin County
- Population70,944
- Households31,570
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$74,907
- Median age47.2
- Median gross rent$1,177 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$329,000
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over54,405
- Population under 1811,803
- Share under 1816.6 percent
- Population 65 and over17,460
- Share 65 and over24.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6441,681
- Civilian labor force37,864
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.0 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties12th of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents781st
Franklin County is the 12th largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.6 percent against 16.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Franklin County
Is Franklin County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.23 percent
- Census 2020 base population71,032
- Births, 2024493
- Deaths, 2024821
- Natural change, 2024-328
- Net domestic migration, 2024129
- Net international migration, 2024216
- Total net migration, 2024345
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024481
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1926th
The county has lost 0.23 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.
Franklin County
Where people moving to Franklin County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,790
- People arriving, from those returns2,666
- Adjusted gross income arriving$113.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$63,196
- Largest single originFranklin County Non-migrants (29,966 households)
- Largest single destination (29,966 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County Non-migrants | 29,966 | 53,687 | $2.43 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 588 | 888 | $43.0 m |
| Hampshire County | 433 | 594 | $25.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 260 | 374 | $19.9 m |
| Worcester County | 249 | 420 | $12.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 163 | 241 | $10.7 m |
| Hampden County | 149 | 228 | $7.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 102 | 167 | $7.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Franklin 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.
Franklin County
What the Franklin County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.70 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-4.2 percent
- GDP change over five years17.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents862nd
- GDP per resident$52,208
Output grew -4.2 percent in the latest year and 17.4 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.
Franklin County
Who employs people in Franklin County
- Covered employment, annual average25,435
- Establishments reporting2,581
- Average annual pay$54,261
- Average weekly wage$1,043
- Sector 62, employment4,112
- Sector 62, average annual pay$47,086
- Sector 31-33, employment3,294
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$66,249
- Sector 44-45, employment2,745
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,806
- Sector 72, employment1,755
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,082
- Sector 61, employment1,601
- Sector 23, employment1,087
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 4,112 | 907 | $47,086 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,294 | 104 | $66,249 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,745 | 225 | $39,806 |
| Sector 72 | 1,755 | 140 | $26,082 |
| Sector 61 | 1,601 | 51 | $56,930 |
| Sector 23 | 1,087 | 171 | $74,399 |
| Sector 11 | 849 | 55 | $47,585 |
| Sector 48-49 | 702 | 32 | $51,302 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,112 jobs, 16.2 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.
Franklin County
What businesses operate in Franklin County
- Establishments, all industries1,549
- Employment at those establishments19,141
- Annual payroll$967.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.8
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.
Franklin County
What is being built in Franklin County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202483
- Declared construction value permitted$23.5 m
- Single family units authorised64
- Multifamily units authorised19
- Multifamily share of units22.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$283,664
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.6
Multifamily is 22.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Franklin County
How much SBA lending happens in Franklin County
- 7(a) approvals recorded64
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$20.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$326,617
- Median 7(a) approval$97,500
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,113,000
- Largest single approval$4,600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)402
- Jobs per approval6.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals44
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter57
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals3.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Automotive Repair (6)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (12)
- 504 approvals recorded44
- 504 gross approval dollars$18.4 m
- Average 504 approval$418,386
- Median 504 approval$290,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.0
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (27)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals59.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$39.3 m
The average approval of $326,617 sits well above the median of $97,500, 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 9.4 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.
Franklin County
Do SBA loans in Franklin County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded14
- Paid in full14
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure35
- Status: Paid in full14
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
Of the 14 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Franklin County
Which parts of Franklin County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending18
- Greenfield, approvals23
- CHARLEMONT, approvals7
- ORANGE, approvals6
- Shelburne Falls, approvals3
- Northfield, approvals3
- NEW SALEM, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Greenfield | 23 | $4,407,200 |
| CHARLEMONT | 7 | $683,000 |
| ORANGE | 6 | $2,148,200 |
| Shelburne Falls | 3 | $370,100 |
| Northfield | 3 | $1,811,200 |
| NEW SALEM | 3 | $570,000 |
| DEERFIELD | 3 | $525,000 |
| Gill | 2 | $51,900 |
Greenfield accounts for 23 approvals against 7 in CHARLEMONT. 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.
Franklin County
How big is Franklin County
- Land area699 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties4th of 14
- Width, east to west40.7 mi
- Height, north to south30.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land101
- Establishments per square mile2.22
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 Franklin 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 Franklin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population70,944
- Households31,570
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$74,907
- Median age47.2
Common questions
Franklin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Franklin County, Massachusetts?
70,944, in 31,570 households, ranking 12th of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Franklin County growing?
The population has fallen 0.23 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 493 births against 821 deaths, with net migration of 345. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Franklin County?
$74,907. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $329,000, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,177 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Franklin County?
1,549 establishments, employing 19,141 people with an annual payroll of $967.2 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 Franklin County?
Average annual pay is $54,261, or $1,043 a week, across 25,435 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Franklin County?
64 7(a) approvals totalling $20.9 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $97,500, plus 44 504 approvals worth $18.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Franklin County get paid back?
Of the 14 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Franklin County?
83 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $23.5 m. Multifamily was 22.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Franklin 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 Franklin County come from?
The largest single origin is Franklin County Non-migrants, with 29,966 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,196 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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.