Hamilton County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Hamilton County, Tennessee has a population of 376,192 across 542 square miles, up 5.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $37.28 bn in 2024, 9,883 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 283 7(a) approvals worth $200.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Hamilton County
How many people live in Hamilton County
- Population376,192
- Households154,181
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$76,183
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$1,253 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$312,800
- Home value to household income4.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over265,105
- Population under 1879,311
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over69,086
- Share 65 and over18.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64227,795
- Civilian labor force195,869
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.0 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties4th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents199th
Hamilton County is the 4th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.1 percent against 18.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hamilton County
Is Hamilton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.29 percent
- Census 2020 base population366,837
- Births, 20244,438
- Deaths, 20243,979
- Natural change, 2024459
- Net domestic migration, 20243,073
- Net international migration, 20241,428
- Total net migration, 20244,501
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202413,378
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents494th
The county has grown 5.29 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.
Hamilton County
Where people moving to Hamilton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving10,871
- People arriving, from those returns19,031
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.01 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$92,528
- Largest single originHamilton County Non-migrants (138,122 households)
- Largest single destination (138,122 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County Non-migrants | 138,122 | 275,400 | $13.43 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,875 | 7,016 | $429.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,915 | 3,427 | $245.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 783 | 1,337 | $68.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 676 | 1,363 | $74.8 m |
| Catoosa County | 605 | 1,090 | $32.2 m |
| Bradley County | 573 | 987 | $35.2 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 501 | 889 | $40.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hamilton 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.
Hamilton County
What the Hamilton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$37.28 bn
- County GDP, 2023$36.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.3 percent
- GDP change over five years33.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents160th
- GDP per resident$99,096
Output grew 3.3 percent in the latest year and 33.5 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.
Hamilton County
Who employs people in Hamilton County
- Covered employment, annual average221,207
- Establishments reporting13,611
- Average annual pay$66,004
- Average weekly wage$1,269
- Sector 62, employment33,683
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,413
- Sector 31-33, employment29,368
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,036
- Sector 72, employment21,738
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,797
- Sector 44-45, employment21,086
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,123
- Sector 48-49, employment14,795
- Sector 56, employment14,007
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 33,683 | 1,500 | $68,413 |
| Sector 31-33 | 29,368 | 626 | $75,036 |
| Sector 72 | 21,738 | 1,086 | $25,797 |
| Sector 44-45 | 21,086 | 1,568 | $39,123 |
| Sector 48-49 | 14,795 | 426 | $73,402 |
| Sector 56 | 14,007 | 743 | $45,218 |
| Sector 52 | 12,124 | 838 | $103,202 |
| Sector 23 | 11,806 | 1,000 | $80,558 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 33,683 jobs, 15.2 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.
Hamilton County
What businesses operate in Hamilton County
- Establishments, all industries9,883
- Employment at those establishments205,761
- Annual payroll$11.69 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.3
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.
Hamilton County
What is being built in Hamilton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,130
- Declared construction value permitted$397.6 m
- Single family units authorised1,537
- Multifamily units authorised593
- Multifamily share of units27.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$186,647
- Units authorised per 1,000 households13.8
Multifamily is 27.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hamilton County
How much SBA lending happens in Hamilton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded283
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$200.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$708,878
- Median 7(a) approval$296,900
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,134,700
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,810
- Jobs per approval9.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active73
- Distinct industries receiving approvals121
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms47
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter215
- Franchise loans91
- Franchise share of approvals32.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFitness and Recreational Sports Centers (14)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (45)
- 504 approvals recorded82
- 504 gross approval dollars$71.1 m
- Average 504 approval$867,488
- Median 504 approval$495,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.9
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (78)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$271.7 m
The average approval of $708,878 sits well above the median of $296,900, 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 16.6 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.
Hamilton County
Do SBA loans in Hamilton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded46
- Paid in full41
- Charged off5
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.9 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure179
- Status: Paid in full41
- Status: Cancelled45
- Status: Charged off5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed13
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.9 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.
Hamilton County
Which parts of Hamilton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending11
- CHATTANOOGA, approvals200
- OOLTEWAH, approvals33
- Hixson, approvals25
- SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, approvals11
- East Ridge, approvals3
- MC DONALD, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHATTANOOGA | 200 | $154,914,700 |
| OOLTEWAH | 33 | $9,901,800 |
| Hixson | 25 | $25,399,900 |
| SIGNAL MOUNTAIN | 11 | $2,726,100 |
| East Ridge | 3 | $4,357,400 |
| MC DONALD | 2 | $40,000 |
| BIRCHWOOD | 2 | $1,986,000 |
| Collegedale | 2 | $740,000 |
CHATTANOOGA accounts for 200 approvals against 33 in OOLTEWAH. 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.
Hamilton County
How big is Hamilton County
- Land area542 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties27th of 95
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south32.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land694
- Establishments per square mile18.23
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 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population376,192
- Households154,181
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$76,183
- Median age39.5
Common questions
Hamilton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hamilton County, Tennessee?
376,192, in 154,181 households, ranking 4th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hamilton County growing?
The population has grown 5.29 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,438 births against 3,979 deaths, with net migration of 4,501. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hamilton County?
$76,183. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $312,800, which is 4.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,253 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hamilton County?
9,883 establishments, employing 205,761 people with an annual payroll of $11.69 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 Hamilton County?
Average annual pay is $66,004, or $1,269 a week, across 221,207 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hamilton County?
283 7(a) approvals totalling $200.6 m since FY2020, across 73 lenders, with a median approval of $296,900, plus 82 504 approvals worth $71.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Hamilton County get paid back?
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 41 were paid in full and 5 charged off, a charge off rate of 10.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Hamilton County?
2,130 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $397.6 m. Multifamily was 27.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hamilton 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 Hamilton County come from?
The largest single origin is Hamilton County Non-migrants, with 138,122 households. Arriving households report an average income of $92,528 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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.