Ross County, Ohio: commercial real estate data.
Ross County, Ohio has a population of 76,492 across 689 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.87 bn in 2024, 1,245 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 61 7(a) approvals worth $13.7 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Ross County
How many people live in Ross County
- Population76,492
- Households29,808
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$61,303
- Median age41.1
- Median gross rent$906 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$171,500
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over54,609
- Population under 1816,098
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over13,697
- Share 65 and over17.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6446,697
- Civilian labor force33,389
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.3 percent
- Rank by population among Ohio counties32nd of 88
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents746th
Ross County is the 32nd 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 21.0 percent against 17.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ross County
Is Ross County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.36 percent
- Census 2020 base population77,093
- Births, 2024712
- Deaths, 20241,044
- Natural change, 2024-332
- Net domestic migration, 202434
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 202438
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024492
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2315th
The county has lost 1.36 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.
Ross County
Where people moving to Ross County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,612
- People arriving, from those returns2,896
- Adjusted gross income arriving$74.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,908
- Largest single originRoss County Non-migrants (27,361 households)
- Largest single destination (27,361 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County Non-migrants | 27,361 | 53,337 | $1.69 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 318 | 603 | $21.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 237 | 374 | $8.9 m |
| Franklin County | 220 | 360 | $10.0 m |
| Pickaway County | 199 | 359 | $8.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 180 | 351 | $9.1 m |
| Pike County | 153 | 327 | $6.2 m |
| Jackson County | 72 | 141 | $3.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ross 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.
Ross County
What the Ross County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.87 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.63 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.7 percent
- GDP change over five years29.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Ohio counties40th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents826th
- GDP per resident$50,576
Output grew 6.7 percent in the latest year and 29.0 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.
Ross County
Who employs people in Ross County
- Covered employment, annual average29,510
- Establishments reporting1,546
- Average annual pay$58,036
- Average weekly wage$1,116
- Sector 62, employment5,296
- Sector 62, average annual pay$72,230
- Sector 31-33, employment4,720
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$74,637
- Sector 44-45, employment3,792
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,581
- Sector 72, employment3,081
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,797
- Sector 48-49, employment1,329
- Sector 56, employment897
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 5,296 | 218 | $72,230 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,720 | 60 | $74,637 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,792 | 244 | $35,581 |
| Sector 72 | 3,081 | 151 | $21,797 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,329 | 73 | $49,736 |
| Sector 56 | 897 | 61 | $31,455 |
| Sector 23 | 768 | 118 | $63,614 |
| Sector 42 | 656 | 52 | $65,915 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,296 jobs, 17.9 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.
Ross County
What businesses operate in Ross County
- Establishments, all industries1,245
- Employment at those establishments24,319
- Annual payroll$1.20 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.3
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.
Ross County
What is being built in Ross County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202424
- Declared construction value permitted$7.1 m
- Single family units authorised22
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units8.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$294,157
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.8
Multifamily is 8.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ross County
How much SBA lending happens in Ross County
- 7(a) approvals recorded61
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$224,775
- Median 7(a) approval$83,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$416,000
- Largest single approval$2,688,100
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)599
- Jobs per approval9.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals36
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter56
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals9.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (7)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (46)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$791,000
- Average 504 approval$395,500
- Median 504 approval$396,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval43.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved110.0
- Most active CDCCommunity Capital Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals96.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.5 m
The average approval of $224,775 sits well above the median of $83,000, 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 6.6 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.
Ross County
Do SBA loans in Ross County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded11
- Paid in full11
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure41
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 11 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.
Ross County
Which parts of Ross County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Chillicothe, approvals45
- Frankfort, approvals6
- BAINBRIDGE, approvals4
- Chillicote, approvals2
- KINGSTON, approvals1
- LONDONDERRY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Chillicothe | 45 | $11,692,600 |
| Frankfort | 6 | $1,497,700 |
| BAINBRIDGE | 4 | $143,500 |
| Chillicote | 2 | $80,000 |
| KINGSTON | 1 | $8,500 |
| LONDONDERRY | 1 | $120,000 |
| CLARKSBURG | 1 | $100,000 |
| SOUTH SALEM | 1 | $69,000 |
Chillicothe accounts for 45 approvals against 6 in Frankfort. 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.
Ross County
How big is Ross County
- Land area689 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Ohio counties2nd of 88
- Width, east to west34.9 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land111
- Establishments per square mile1.81
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.
Ross County
What hazards affect Ross County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate83.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Ross 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 Ross County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population76,492
- Households29,808
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$61,303
- Median age41.1
Common questions
Ross County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ross County, Ohio?
76,492, in 29,808 households, ranking 32nd of 88 Ohio counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ross County growing?
The population has fallen 1.36 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 712 births against 1,044 deaths, with net migration of 38. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ross County?
$61,303. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,500, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $906 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ross County?
1,245 establishments, employing 24,319 people with an annual payroll of $1.20 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Ross County?
Average annual pay is $58,036, or $1,116 a week, across 29,510 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ross County?
61 7(a) approvals totalling $13.7 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $83,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $791,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Ross County get paid back?
Of the 11 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11 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 Ross County?
24 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.1 m. Multifamily was 8.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ross County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Ross County come from?
The largest single origin is Ross County Non-migrants, with 27,361 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,908 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 Ross 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 Ross 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.