Fentress County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Fentress County, Tennessee has a population of 19,309 across 499 square miles, up 8.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $769.0 m in 2024, 286 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $2.8 m.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Fentress County
How many people live in Fentress County
- Population19,309
- Households7,831
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$51,149
- Median age46.9
- Median gross rent$709 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,200
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,977
- Population under 183,935
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,498
- Share 65 and over23.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,876
- Civilian labor force7,413
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over48.2 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties68th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1923rd
Fentress County is the 68th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.3 percent against 20.4 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.
Fentress County
Is Fentress County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.88 percent
- Census 2020 base population18,487
- Births, 2024188
- Deaths, 2024313
- Natural change, 2024-125
- Net domestic migration, 2024548
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024546
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,163
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents191st
The county has grown 8.88 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.
Fentress County
Where people moving to Fentress County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving629
- People arriving, from those returns1,221
- Adjusted gross income arriving$44.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$71,324
- Largest single originFentress County Non-migrants (6,288 households)
- Largest single destination (6,288 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fentress County Non-migrants | 6,288 | 13,565 | $364.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 376 | 753 | $32.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 161 | 300 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 154 | 279 | $13.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 93 | 223 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 81 | 143 | $7.3 m |
| Cumberland County | 53 | 97 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 48 | 108 | $4.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Fentress 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.
Fentress County
What the Fentress County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$769.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$681.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202412.8 percent
- GDP change over five years51.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties67th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2056th
- GDP per resident$39,826
Output grew 12.8 percent in the latest year and 51.4 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.
Fentress County
Who employs people in Fentress County
- Covered employment, annual average5,768
- Establishments reporting409
- Average annual pay$41,622
- Average weekly wage$800
- Sector 44-45, employment716
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,208
- Sector 31-33, employment276
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$43,959
- Sector 42, employment215
- Sector 42, average annual pay$44,229
- Sector 52, employment177
- Sector 52, average annual pay$65,652
- Sector 23, employment119
- Sector 54, employment84
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 716 | 56 | $31,208 |
| Sector 31-33 | 276 | 24 | $43,959 |
| Sector 42 | 215 | 14 | $44,229 |
| Sector 52 | 177 | 30 | $65,652 |
| Sector 23 | 119 | 38 | $41,298 |
| Sector 54 | 84 | 43 | $59,756 |
| Sector 81 | 70 | 24 | $36,515 |
| Sector 51 | 62 | 15 | $105,539 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 716 jobs, 12.4 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.
Fentress County
What businesses operate in Fentress County
- Establishments, all industries286
- Employment at those establishments3,045
- Annual payroll$111.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.8
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.
Fentress County
What is being built in Fentress County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$2.1 m
- Single family units authorised7
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$302,641
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.9
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fentress County
How much SBA lending happens in Fentress County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$691,250
- Median 7(a) approval$700,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,990,000
- Largest single approval$1,990,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)162
- Jobs per approval40.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSpecial Needs Transportation (1)
- Most active lenderByline Bank (1)
The average approval of $691,250 sits close to the median of $700,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Fentress County
Do SBA loans in Fentress County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Fentress County
Which parts of Fentress County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- JAMESTOWN, approvals2
- Crossville, approvals1
- ALLARDT, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| JAMESTOWN | 2 | $725,000 |
| Crossville | 1 | $50,000 |
| ALLARDT | 1 | $1,990,000 |
JAMESTOWN accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in Crossville. 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.
Fentress County
How big is Fentress County
- Land area499 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties38th of 95
- Width, east to west25.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land39
- Establishments per square mile0.57
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 Fentress 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 Fentress County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population19,309
- Households7,831
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$51,149
- Median age46.9
Common questions
Fentress County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fentress County, Tennessee?
19,309, in 7,831 households, ranking 68th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fentress County growing?
The population has grown 8.88 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 188 births against 313 deaths, with net migration of 546. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fentress County?
$51,149. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,200, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $709 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Fentress County?
286 establishments, employing 3,045 people with an annual payroll of $111.9 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 Fentress County?
Average annual pay is $41,622, or $800 a week, across 5,768 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fentress County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $2.8 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $700,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Fentress County?
7 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fentress 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 Fentress County come from?
The largest single origin is Fentress County Non-migrants, with 6,288 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,324 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 Fentress 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 Fentress 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.