HomePennsylvaniaCarbon County
Carbon County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Carbon County, Pennsylvania has a population of 65,382 across 381 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.80 bn in 2024, 1,205 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 48 7(a) approvals worth $19.5 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Carbon County
How many people live in Carbon County
- Population65,382
- Households27,255
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$67,554
- Median age46.3
- Median gross rent$994 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$211,400
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over48,424
- Population under 1812,375
- Share under 1818.9 percent
- Population 65 and over14,795
- Share 65 and over22.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,212
- Civilian labor force33,283
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.8 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties38th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents840th
Carbon County is the 38th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.6 percent against 18.9 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.
Carbon County
Is Carbon County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population64,754
- Births, 2024530
- Deaths, 2024886
- Natural change, 2024-356
- Net domestic migration, 2024572
- Net international migration, 2024107
- Total net migration, 2024679
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,345
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1322nd
The county has grown 1.53 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.
Carbon County
Where people moving to Carbon County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,791
- People arriving, from those returns3,022
- Adjusted gross income arriving$107.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,873
- Largest single originCarbon County Non-migrants (26,548 households)
- Largest single destination (26,548 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County Non-migrants | 26,548 | 50,172 | $1.78 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 379 | 629 | $27.9 m |
| Lehigh County | 321 | 546 | $15.8 m |
| Northampton County | 207 | 332 | $10.3 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 175 | 295 | $16.4 m |
| Luzerne County | 169 | 280 | $6.5 m |
| Schuylkill County | 150 | 270 | $6.5 m |
| Monroe County | 147 | 244 | $6.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Carbon 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.
Carbon County
What the Carbon County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.80 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.69 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years5.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Pennsylvania counties41st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1023rd
- GDP per resident$42,799
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 5.8 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.
Carbon County
Who employs people in Carbon County
- Covered employment, annual average16,676
- Establishments reporting1,305
- Average annual pay$44,741
- Average weekly wage$860
- Sector 62, employment3,501
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,929
- Sector 44-45, employment2,058
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,983
- Sector 72, employment1,903
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,976
- Sector 71, employment1,355
- Sector 71, average annual pay$19,390
- Sector 31-33, employment1,220
- Sector 51, employment853
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 3,501 | 186 | $51,929 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,058 | 177 | $30,983 |
| Sector 72 | 1,903 | 148 | $20,976 |
| Sector 71 | 1,355 | 38 | $19,390 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,220 | 47 | $60,306 |
| Sector 51 | 853 | 32 | $63,844 |
| Sector 23 | 504 | 133 | $59,249 |
| Sector 81 | 492 | 116 | $35,467 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,501 jobs, 21.0 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.
Carbon County
What businesses operate in Carbon County
- Establishments, all industries1,205
- Employment at those establishments13,027
- Annual payroll$543.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.4
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.
Carbon County
What is being built in Carbon County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024157
- Declared construction value permitted$43.6 m
- Single family units authorised157
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$277,492
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Carbon County
How much SBA lending happens in Carbon County
- 7(a) approvals recorded48
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$19.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$405,258
- Median 7(a) approval$241,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$680,000
- Largest single approval$4,550,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)384
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals34
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter34
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals6.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countJanitorial Services (4)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (8)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.5 m
- Average 504 approval$1,067,125
- Median 504 approval$867,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.2
- Most active CDCNEPA Alliance Business Finance Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$28.0 m
The average approval of $405,258 sits well above the median of $241,000, 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 22.9 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.
Carbon County
Do SBA loans in Carbon County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure29
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
Carbon County
Which parts of Carbon County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending14
- LEHIGHTON, approvals18
- PALMERTON, approvals6
- Jim Thorpe, approvals6
- BOWMANSTOWN, approvals3
- NESQUEHONING, approvals3
- HAZLETON, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LEHIGHTON | 18 | $3,915,500 |
| PALMERTON | 6 | $2,606,000 |
| Jim Thorpe | 6 | $3,776,400 |
| BOWMANSTOWN | 3 | $1,580,000 |
| NESQUEHONING | 3 | $527,000 |
| HAZLETON | 2 | $4,850,000 |
| Summit Hill | 2 | $630,000 |
| WEATHERLY | 2 | $217,500 |
LEHIGHTON accounts for 18 approvals against 6 in PALMERTON. 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.
Carbon County
How big is Carbon County
- Land area381 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties58th of 67
- Width, east to west27.3 mi
- Height, north to south26.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land172
- Establishments per square mile3.16
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.
Carbon County
What hazards affect Carbon County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book23
- Of those, participating in the NFIP23
- NFIP participation rate100.0 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 Carbon 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 Carbon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population65,382
- Households27,255
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$67,554
- Median age46.3
Common questions
Carbon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
65,382, in 27,255 households, ranking 38th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Carbon County growing?
The population has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 530 births against 886 deaths, with net migration of 679. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Carbon County?
$67,554. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $211,400, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $994 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Carbon County?
1,205 establishments, employing 13,027 people with an annual payroll of $543.1 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 Carbon County?
Average annual pay is $44,741, or $860 a week, across 16,676 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Carbon County?
48 7(a) approvals totalling $19.5 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $241,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $8.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Carbon County?
157 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $43.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Carbon 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 Carbon County come from?
The largest single origin is Carbon County Non-migrants, with 26,548 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,873 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 Carbon 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 Carbon 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.