Brown County, Ohio: commercial real estate data.
Brown County, Ohio has a population of 43,845 across 490 square miles, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.21 bn in 2024, 561 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 37 7(a) approvals worth $14.8 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Brown County
How many people live in Brown County
- Population43,845
- Households17,138
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$71,270
- Median age42.5
- Median gross rent$817 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$196,200
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over30,715
- Population under 189,983
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over8,392
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6425,470
- Civilian labor force20,042
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.2 percent
- Rank by population among Ohio counties55th of 88
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1120th
Brown County is the 55th largest of 88 Ohio 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 22.8 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Brown County
Is Brown County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population43,681
- Births, 2024516
- Deaths, 2024605
- Natural change, 2024-89
- Net domestic migration, 2024516
- Net international migration, 202439
- Total net migration, 2024555
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,148
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1370th
The county has grown 1.40 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.
Brown County
Where people moving to Brown County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,150
- People arriving, from those returns2,174
- Adjusted gross income arriving$60.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,210
- Largest single originBrown County Non-migrants (15,854 households)
- Largest single destination (15,854 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County Non-migrants | 15,854 | 32,406 | $944.3 m |
| Clermont County | 478 | 916 | $22.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 199 | 357 | $11.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 143 | 266 | $8.7 m |
| Hamilton County | 109 | 214 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 87 | 157 | $5.2 m |
| Adams County | 81 | 139 | $4.1 m |
| Highland County | 66 | 141 | $3.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Brown 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.
Brown County
What the Brown County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.21 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.16 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.0 percent
- GDP change over five years32.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Ohio counties78th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1688th
- GDP per resident$27,534
Output grew 4.0 percent in the latest year and 32.9 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.
Brown County
Who employs people in Brown County
- Covered employment, annual average7,943
- Establishments reporting764
- Average annual pay$43,810
- Average weekly wage$842
- Sector 62, employment1,265
- Sector 62, average annual pay$43,126
- Sector 44-45, employment1,028
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,183
- Sector 72, employment939
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,570
- Sector 31-33, employment712
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$55,395
- Sector 23, employment297
- Sector 81, employment266
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,265 | 96 | $43,126 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,028 | 104 | $33,183 |
| Sector 72 | 939 | 59 | $18,570 |
| Sector 31-33 | 712 | 32 | $55,395 |
| Sector 23 | 297 | 82 | $61,538 |
| Sector 81 | 266 | 76 | $31,650 |
| Sector 56 | 199 | 31 | $61,376 |
| Sector 52 | 191 | 36 | $56,414 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,265 jobs, 15.9 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.
Brown County
What businesses operate in Brown County
- Establishments, all industries561
- Employment at those establishments5,873
- Annual payroll$224.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.8
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.
Brown County
What is being built in Brown County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024147
- Declared construction value permitted$51.0 m
- Single family units authorised143
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units2.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$346,800
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.6
Multifamily is 2.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brown County
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County
- 7(a) approvals recorded37
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$399,370
- Median 7(a) approval$112,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,192,000
- Largest single approval$3,375,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)256
- Jobs per approval6.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter26
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals2.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (4)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (10)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$386,000
- Median 504 approval$427,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.1
- Most active CDCAlloy Development Co., Inc. (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals90.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$16.3 m
The average approval of $399,370 sits well above the median of $112,000, 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 13.5 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.
Brown County
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded16
- Paid in full13
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans18.8 percent
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure15
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Of the 16 loans that have reached a final outcome, 18.8 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.
Brown County
Which parts of Brown County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending11
- Mount Orab, approvals7
- SARDINIA, approvals6
- GEORGETOWN, approvals6
- HAMERSVILLE, approvals5
- WINCHESTER, approvals3
- Blanchester, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Orab | 7 | $2,254,400 |
| SARDINIA | 6 | $1,262,000 |
| GEORGETOWN | 6 | $4,438,000 |
| HAMERSVILLE | 5 | $383,100 |
| WINCHESTER | 3 | $60,900 |
| Blanchester | 3 | $287,000 |
| RIPLEY | 2 | $900,000 |
| Mt Orab | 2 | $3,575,000 |
Mount Orab accounts for 7 approvals against 6 in SARDINIA. 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.
Brown County
How big is Brown County
- Land area490 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Ohio counties29th of 88
- Width, east to west20.5 mi
- Height, north to south42.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land89
- Establishments per square mile1.14
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.
Brown County
What hazards affect Brown County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate77.8 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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 Brown 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 Brown County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population43,845
- Households17,138
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$71,270
- Median age42.5
Common questions
Brown County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brown County, Ohio?
43,845, in 17,138 households, ranking 55th of 88 Ohio counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brown County growing?
The population has grown 1.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 516 births against 605 deaths, with net migration of 555. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brown County?
$71,270. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $196,200, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $817 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Brown County?
561 establishments, employing 5,873 people with an annual payroll of $224.9 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 Brown County?
Average annual pay is $43,810, or $842 a week, across 7,943 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County?
37 7(a) approvals totalling $14.8 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $112,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back?
Of the 16 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 18.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Brown County?
147 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $51.0 m. Multifamily was 2.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brown 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 Brown County come from?
The largest single origin is Brown County Non-migrants, with 15,854 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,210 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 Brown 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 Brown 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.