Karnes County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Karnes County, Texas has a population of 14,968 across 748 square miles, up 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.03 bn in 2024, 328 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $23.7 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Karnes County
How many people live in Karnes County
- Population14,968
- Households4,730
- Average household size3.16
- Median household income$60,214
- Median age38.1
- Median gross rent$957 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$149,000
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,685
- Population under 182,908
- Share under 1819.4 percent
- Population 65 and over2,268
- Share 65 and over15.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,792
- Civilian labor force5,509
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over45.7 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties139th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2164th
Karnes County is the 139th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.4 percent against 15.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Karnes County
Is Karnes County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.48 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,771
- Births, 2024144
- Deaths, 2024165
- Natural change, 2024-21
- Net domestic migration, 2024-61
- Net international migration, 2024165
- Total net migration, 2024104
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-74
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1010th
The county has grown 2.48 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.
Karnes County
Where people moving to Karnes County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving305
- People arriving, from those returns568
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,262
- Largest single originKarnes County Non-migrants (4,601 households)
- Largest single destination (4,601 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnes County Non-migrants | 4,601 | 9,532 | $551.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 184 | 318 | $9.7 m |
| Bexar County | 55 | 89 | $2.9 m |
| Wilson County | 34 | 77 | $2.6 m |
| Bee County | 32 | 84 | $1.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Karnes 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.
Karnes County
What the Karnes County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.58 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-7.2 percent
- GDP change over five years119.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties45th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents584th
- GDP per resident$469,750
Output grew -7.2 percent in the latest year and 119.7 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.
Karnes County
Who employs people in Karnes County
- Covered employment, annual average6,178
- Establishments reporting409
- Average annual pay$71,755
- Average weekly wage$1,380
- Sector 21, employment700
- Sector 21, average annual pay$89,724
- Sector 56, employment658
- Sector 56, average annual pay$81,456
- Sector 44-45, employment581
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,759
- Sector 31-33, employment246
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$80,134
- Sector 48-49, employment243
- Sector 23, employment233
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 21 | 700 | 28 | $89,724 |
| Sector 56 | 658 | 18 | $81,456 |
| Sector 44-45 | 581 | 47 | $33,759 |
| Sector 31-33 | 246 | 14 | $80,134 |
| Sector 48-49 | 243 | 28 | $94,363 |
| Sector 23 | 233 | 28 | $75,678 |
| Sector 62 | 231 | 24 | $41,231 |
| Sector 42 | 200 | 24 | $73,906 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 700 jobs, 11.3 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.
Karnes County
What businesses operate in Karnes County
- Establishments, all industries328
- Employment at those establishments5,230
- Annual payroll$383.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.9
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.
Karnes County
What is being built in Karnes County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202480
- Declared construction value permitted$15.6 m
- Single family units authorised80
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$195,555
- Units authorised per 1,000 households16.9
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Karnes County
How much SBA lending happens in Karnes County
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$23.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,976,867
- Median 7(a) approval$1,850,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,925,000
- Largest single approval$4,610,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)162
- Jobs per approval13.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer83.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms10
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals41.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (8)
- Most active lenderNewtek Bank, National Association (2)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,172,500
- Median 504 approval$1,222,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.2
- Most active CDCTexas Certified Development Company, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$26.1 m
The average approval of $1,976,867 sits close to the median of $1,850,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 83.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Karnes County
Do SBA loans in Karnes County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Karnes County
Which parts of Karnes County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Kenedy, approvals7
- KARNES CITY, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kenedy | 7 | $14,358,800 |
| KARNES CITY | 5 | $9,363,600 |
Kenedy accounts for 7 approvals against 5 in KARNES CITY. 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.
Karnes County
How big is Karnes County
- Land area748 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties209th of 254
- Width, east to west37.3 mi
- Height, north to south38.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land20
- Establishments per square mile0.44
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.
Karnes County
What hazards affect Karnes County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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 Karnes 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 Karnes County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,968
- Households4,730
- Average household size3.16
- Median household income$60,214
- Median age38.1
Common questions
Karnes County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Karnes County, Texas?
14,968, in 4,730 households, ranking 139th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Karnes County growing?
The population has grown 2.48 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 144 births against 165 deaths, with net migration of 104. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Karnes County?
$60,214. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $149,000, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $957 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Karnes County?
328 establishments, employing 5,230 people with an annual payroll of $383.1 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 Karnes County?
Average annual pay is $71,755, or $1,380 a week, across 6,178 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Karnes County?
12 7(a) approvals totalling $23.7 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $1,850,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Karnes County?
80 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Karnes 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 Karnes County come from?
The largest single origin is Karnes County Non-migrants, with 4,601 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,262 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 Karnes 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 Karnes 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.