Bedford County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Bedford County, Tennessee has a population of 52,237 across 474 square miles, up 7.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.92 bn in 2024, 889 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 28 7(a) approvals worth $24.2 m.
109 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bedford County
How many people live in Bedford County
- Population52,237
- Households19,505
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$67,225
- Median age37.6
- Median gross rent$1,051 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$281,200
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over34,479
- Population under 1813,237
- Share under 1825.3 percent
- Population 65 and over7,757
- Share 65 and over14.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6431,243
- Civilian labor force25,872
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.3 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties32nd of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents984th
Bedford County is the 32nd largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.3 percent against 14.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bedford County
Is Bedford County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.93 percent
- Census 2020 base population50,246
- Births, 2024726
- Deaths, 2024561
- Natural change, 2024165
- Net domestic migration, 2024590
- Net international migration, 2024202
- Total net migration, 2024792
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,813
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents241st
The county has grown 7.93 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.
Bedford County
Where people moving to Bedford County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,573
- People arriving, from those returns3,084
- Adjusted gross income arriving$111.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$70,954
- Largest single originBedford County Non-migrants (17,763 households)
- Largest single destination (17,763 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County Non-migrants | 17,763 | 37,371 | $1.16 bn |
| Rutherford County | 501 | 982 | $31.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 456 | 898 | $34.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 195 | 381 | $12.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 153 | 281 | $7.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 127 | 271 | $10.0 m |
| Coffee County | 102 | 207 | $3.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 100 | 178 | $6.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bedford 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.
Bedford County
What the Bedford County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.65 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.4 percent
- GDP change over five years45.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties27th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents996th
- GDP per resident$55,917
Output grew 10.4 percent in the latest year and 45.2 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.
Bedford County
Who employs people in Bedford County
- Covered employment, annual average18,134
- Establishments reporting1,069
- Average annual pay$53,753
- Average weekly wage$1,034
- Sector 31-33, employment4,660
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$57,772
- Sector 44-45, employment1,951
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,623
- Sector 48-49, employment1,837
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$64,405
- Sector 23, employment1,253
- Sector 23, average annual pay$84,463
- Sector 62, employment1,237
- Sector 72, employment1,182
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 4,660 | 54 | $57,772 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,951 | 165 | $37,623 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,837 | 46 | $64,405 |
| Sector 23 | 1,253 | 134 | $84,463 |
| Sector 62 | 1,237 | 128 | $51,286 |
| Sector 72 | 1,182 | 80 | $20,490 |
| Sector 56 | 1,082 | 60 | $36,375 |
| Sector 81 | 484 | 65 | $44,245 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,660 jobs, 25.7 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.
Bedford County
What businesses operate in Bedford County
- Establishments, all industries889
- Employment at those establishments14,839
- Annual payroll$755.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.0
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.
Bedford County
What is being built in Bedford County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024631
- Declared construction value permitted$121.6 m
- Single family units authorised623
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units1.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$192,727
- Units authorised per 1,000 households32.4
Multifamily is 1.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bedford County
How much SBA lending happens in Bedford County
- 7(a) approvals recorded28
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$24.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$865,086
- Median 7(a) approval$378,500
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,100,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)284
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals19
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (7)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (9)
The average approval of $865,086 sits well above the median of $378,500, 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 21.4 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.
Bedford County
Do SBA loans in Bedford County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure22
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Bedford County
Which parts of Bedford County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- SHELBYVILLE, approvals21
- WARTRACE, approvals3
- TULLAHOMA, approvals2
- LEWISBURG, approvals1
- BELL BUCKLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SHELBYVILLE | 21 | $21,641,900 |
| WARTRACE | 3 | $56,500 |
| TULLAHOMA | 2 | $98,000 |
| LEWISBURG | 1 | $1,337,000 |
| BELL BUCKLE | 1 | $1,089,000 |
SHELBYVILLE accounts for 21 approvals against 3 in WARTRACE. 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.
Bedford County
How big is Bedford County
- Land area474 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties44th of 95
- Width, east to west23.3 mi
- Height, north to south26 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land110
- Establishments per square mile1.88
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Bedford 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 Bedford County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population52,237
- Households19,505
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$67,225
- Median age37.6
Common questions
Bedford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bedford County, Tennessee?
52,237, in 19,505 households, ranking 32nd of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bedford County growing?
The population has grown 7.93 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 726 births against 561 deaths, with net migration of 792. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bedford County?
$67,225. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $281,200, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,051 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bedford County?
889 establishments, employing 14,839 people with an annual payroll of $755.8 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 Bedford County?
Average annual pay is $53,753, or $1,034 a week, across 18,134 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bedford County?
28 7(a) approvals totalling $24.2 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $378,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bedford County?
631 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $121.6 m. Multifamily was 1.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bedford 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 Bedford County come from?
The largest single origin is Bedford County Non-migrants, with 17,763 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,954 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 Bedford 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 Bedford 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.