Rhea County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Rhea County, Tennessee has a population of 33,992 across 315 square miles, up 4.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.98 bn in 2024, 541 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $4.7 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Rhea County
How many people live in Rhea County
- Population33,992
- Households13,475
- Average household size2.52
- Median household income$55,033
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$839 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$206,000
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over23,726
- Population under 187,196
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over6,731
- Share 65 and over19.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6420,065
- Civilian labor force14,696
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over54.8 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties45th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1367th
Rhea County is the 45th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 19.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rhea County
Is Rhea County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.63 percent
- Census 2020 base population33,220
- Births, 2024402
- Deaths, 2024483
- Natural change, 2024-81
- Net domestic migration, 2024516
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 2024520
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,953
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents590th
The county has grown 4.63 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.
Rhea County
Where people moving to Rhea County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving924
- People arriving, from those returns1,828
- Adjusted gross income arriving$62.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$67,633
- Largest single originRhea County Non-migrants (11,230 households)
- Largest single destination (11,230 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County Non-migrants | 11,230 | 23,878 | $702.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 431 | 860 | $33.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 221 | 443 | $16.2 m |
| Hamilton County | 177 | 346 | $9.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 99 | 199 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 90 | 189 | $8.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 80 | 156 | $6.5 m |
| Bledsoe County | 40 | 74 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rhea 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.
Rhea County
What the Rhea County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.98 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years50.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties25th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents984th
- GDP per resident$87,730
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 50.8 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.
Rhea County
Who employs people in Rhea County
- Covered employment, annual average11,990
- Establishments reporting635
- Average annual pay$57,168
- Average weekly wage$1,099
- Sector 31-33, employment3,734
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,840
- Sector 44-45, employment1,265
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,640
- Sector 72, employment918
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,205
- Sector 56, employment700
- Sector 56, average annual pay$24,967
- Sector 48-49, employment375
- Sector 52, employment190
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,734 | 38 | $60,840 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,265 | 106 | $29,640 |
| Sector 72 | 918 | 62 | $19,205 |
| Sector 56 | 700 | 24 | $24,967 |
| Sector 48-49 | 375 | 23 | $47,405 |
| Sector 52 | 190 | 42 | $83,260 |
| Sector 23 | 184 | 44 | $68,312 |
| Sector 54 | 142 | 62 | $54,191 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,734 jobs, 31.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rhea County
What businesses operate in Rhea County
- Establishments, all industries541
- Employment at those establishments9,145
- Annual payroll$372.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.9
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.
Rhea County
What is being built in Rhea County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024198
- Declared construction value permitted$55.8 m
- Single family units authorised158
- Multifamily units authorised40
- Multifamily share of units20.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$281,855
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.7
Multifamily is 20.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rhea County
How much SBA lending happens in Rhea County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$431,464
- Median 7(a) approval$295,000
- 10th percentile approval$125,000
- 90th percentile approval$950,000
- Largest single approval$1,390,100
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)65
- Jobs per approval5.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals36.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOther Business Service Centers (including Copy Shops) (2)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 504 approval$468,250
- Median 504 approval$407,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval11.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.6
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.6 m
The average approval of $431,464 sits well above the median of $295,000, 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 27.3 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.
Rhea County
Do SBA loans in Rhea County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full3
- Charged off1
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 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.
Rhea County
Which parts of Rhea County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- DAYTON, approvals10
- EVENSVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DAYTON | 10 | $4,431,100 |
| EVENSVILLE | 1 | $315,000 |
DAYTON accounts for 10 approvals against 1 in EVENSVILLE. 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.
Rhea County
How big is Rhea County
- Land area315 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties69th of 95
- Width, east to west23.1 mi
- Height, north to south28.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land108
- Establishments per square mile1.72
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 Rhea 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 Rhea County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population33,992
- Households13,475
- Average household size2.52
- Median household income$55,033
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Rhea County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rhea County, Tennessee?
33,992, in 13,475 households, ranking 45th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rhea County growing?
The population has grown 4.63 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 402 births against 483 deaths, with net migration of 520. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rhea County?
$55,033. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $206,000, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $839 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rhea County?
541 establishments, employing 9,145 people with an annual payroll of $372.3 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 Rhea County?
Average annual pay is $57,168, or $1,099 a week, across 11,990 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rhea County?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $4.7 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $295,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Rhea County?
198 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $55.8 m. Multifamily was 20.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rhea County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Rhea County come from?
The largest single origin is Rhea County Non-migrants, with 11,230 households. Arriving households report an average income of $67,633 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 Rhea 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 Rhea 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.