Smith County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Smith County, Tennessee has a population of 20,389 across 314 square miles, up 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $842.9 m in 2024, 307 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $120,000.
105 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Smith County
How many people live in Smith County
- Population20,389
- Households7,932
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$66,293
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$922 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$243,800
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,351
- Population under 184,566
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,399
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,424
- Civilian labor force10,067
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.6 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties67th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1858th
Smith County is the 67th 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 22.4 percent against 16.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Smith County
Is Smith County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,908
- Births, 2024216
- Deaths, 2024282
- Natural change, 2024-66
- Net domestic migration, 2024280
- Net international migration, 202427
- Total net migration, 2024307
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024990
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents627th
The county has grown 4.40 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.
Smith County
Where people moving to Smith County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving616
- People arriving, from those returns1,150
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,567
- Largest single originSmith County Non-migrants (7,278 households)
- Largest single destination (7,278 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County Non-migrants | 7,278 | 15,550 | $594.3 m |
| Wilson County | 172 | 335 | $9.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 123 | 242 | $8.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 79 | 134 | $4.9 m |
| Davidson County | 66 | 101 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 62 | 126 | $3.1 m |
| Sumner County | 37 | 59 | $2.6 m |
| Putnam County | 36 | 63 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Smith 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.
Smith County
What the Smith County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$842.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$893.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-5.6 percent
- GDP change over five years14.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties62nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1994th
- GDP per resident$41,339
Output grew -5.6 percent in the latest year and 14.4 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.
Smith County
Who employs people in Smith County
- Covered employment, annual average5,040
- Establishments reporting418
- Average annual pay$53,195
- Average weekly wage$1,023
- Sector 31-33, employment1,205
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$69,629
- Sector 44-45, employment660
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,885
- Sector 23, employment282
- Sector 23, average annual pay$61,790
- Sector 48-49, employment115
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$70,811
- Sector 52, employment110
- Sector 81, employment68
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,205 | 17 | $69,629 |
| Sector 44-45 | 660 | 53 | $32,885 |
| Sector 23 | 282 | 52 | $61,790 |
| Sector 48-49 | 115 | 12 | $70,811 |
| Sector 52 | 110 | 16 | $108,631 |
| Sector 81 | 68 | 19 | $52,182 |
| Sector 21 | 53 | 4 | $101,826 |
| Sector 11 | 33 | 5 | $51,837 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,205 jobs, 23.9 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.
Smith County
What businesses operate in Smith County
- Establishments, all industries307
- Employment at those establishments4,921
- Annual payroll$248.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.1
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.
Smith County
What is being built in Smith County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024159
- Declared construction value permitted$41.4 m
- Single family units authorised131
- Multifamily units authorised28
- Multifamily share of units17.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,651
- Units authorised per 1,000 households20.0
Multifamily is 17.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Smith County
How much SBA lending happens in Smith County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$120,000
- Average 7(a) approval$40,000
- Median 7(a) approval$10,000
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$100,000
- Largest single approval$100,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3
- Jobs per approval1.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term84 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (2)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (2)
The average approval of $40,000 sits well above the median of $10,000, 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 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.
Smith County
Do SBA loans in Smith County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Smith County
Which parts of Smith County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- CARTHAGE, approvals2
- Brush Creek, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CARTHAGE | 2 | $20,000 |
| Brush Creek | 1 | $100,000 |
CARTHAGE accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in Brush Creek. 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.
Smith County
How big is Smith County
- Land area314 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties70th of 95
- Width, east to west19.9 mi
- Height, north to south23.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land65
- Establishments per square mile0.98
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 Smith 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 Smith County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population20,389
- Households7,932
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$66,293
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Smith County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Smith County, Tennessee?
20,389, in 7,932 households, ranking 67th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Smith County growing?
The population has grown 4.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 216 births against 282 deaths, with net migration of 307. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Smith County?
$66,293. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $243,800, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $922 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Smith County?
307 establishments, employing 4,921 people with an annual payroll of $248.7 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 Smith County?
Average annual pay is $53,195, or $1,023 a week, across 5,040 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Smith County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $120,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $10,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Smith County?
159 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $41.4 m. Multifamily was 17.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Smith 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 Smith County come from?
The largest single origin is Smith County Non-migrants, with 7,278 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,567 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 Smith 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 Smith 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.