Franklin County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Franklin County, Illinois had an estimated 37,033 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 37,820, across 409 square miles. County output reached $1.36 bn in 2024, 696 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 20 7(a) approvals worth $9.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Franklin County
How many people live in Franklin County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202437,323
- Households16,137
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$56,740
- Median age43.4
- Median gross rent$803 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$89,000
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over26,433
- Population under 188,240
- Share under 1822.1 percent
- Population 65 and over7,835
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,248
- Civilian labor force16,886
- Unemployment rate7.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.1 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties35th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1275th of 3,222
Franklin County is the 35th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.1 percent against 21.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Franklin County
Is Franklin County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202437,033
- Census 2020 base population37,820
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.08 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-123
- Births, 2024377
- Deaths, 2024518
- Natural change, 2024-141
- Net domestic migration, 2024-6
- Net international migration, 202424
- Total net migration, 202418
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024119
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2514th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.08 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Franklin County
Where are people moving to Franklin County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving863
- People arriving, from those returns1,617
- Tax returns filed by households leaving795
- Net household movement68
- Adjusted gross income arriving$37.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$1.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$43,344
- Average income of a leaving household$45,686
- Largest single originWilliamson County (267 households)
- Largest single destinationWilliamson County (250 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamson County | 267 | 526 | $11.6 m |
| Jefferson County | 74 | 134 | $3.3 m |
| Jackson County | 61 | 99 | $1.8 m |
| Perry County | 29 | 57 | $1.2 m |
| Hamilton County | 26 | 42 | $1.2 m |
| Saline County | 23 | 37 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $2,342 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Williamson County, 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.
Franklin County
What is the Franklin County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.28 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years40.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes52nd of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1588th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$36,490
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 40.0 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.
Franklin County
Employment by industry in Franklin County
- Covered employment, annual average9,079
- Establishments reporting705
- Average annual pay$46,819
- Average weekly wage$900
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,376
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$50,060
- Retail trade, employment1,175
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,396
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,071
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,941
- Manufacturing, employment542
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,249
- Construction, employment502
- Finance and insurance, employment494
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,376 | 50 | $50,060 |
| Retail trade | 1,175 | 109 | $33,396 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,071 | 82 | $18,941 |
| Manufacturing | 542 | 38 | $60,249 |
| Construction | 502 | 73 | $56,808 |
| Finance and insurance | 494 | 33 | $53,869 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 270 | 18 | $48,934 |
| Wholesale trade | 246 | 25 | $58,793 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,376 jobs, 15.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Franklin County
How many businesses are in Franklin County?
- Establishments, all industries696
- Employment at those establishments6,940
- Annual payroll$293.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Franklin County
Building permits in Franklin County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202415
- Declared construction value permitted$2.1 m
- Single family units authorized15
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$136,986
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.9
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Franklin County
SBA loans in Franklin County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded20
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$481,185
- Median 7(a) approval$130,850
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,046,740
- Largest single approval$4,566,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)132
- Jobs per approval6.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals19
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,328,500
- Median 504 approval$1,328,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval14.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.9
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$12.3 m
The average approval of $481,185 sits well above the median of $130,850, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 30.0 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.
Franklin County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Franklin County
Do SBA loans in Franklin County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 7 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Franklin County
SBA lending by place in Franklin County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Benton, approvals9
- West Frankfort, approvals7
- Sesser, approvals2
- Royalton, approvals1
- Mulkeytown, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Benton | 9 | $5,433,300 |
| West Frankfort | 7 | $3,713,700 |
| Sesser | 2 | $295,700 |
| Royalton | 1 | $135,000 |
| Mulkeytown | 1 | $46,000 |
Benton accounts for 9 approvals against 7 in West Frankfort. 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.
Franklin County
How large is Franklin County?
- Land area409 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties72nd of 102
- Width, east to west25.8 mi
- Height, north to south18.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land91
- Establishments per square mile1.70
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.
Franklin County
Flood risk in Franklin County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Franklin County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170899
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book15
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate73.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Franklin County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Franklin County (community 170899), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Franklin County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 73.3 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Franklin 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 Franklin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202437,323
- Households16,137
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$56,740
- Median age43.4
Common questions
Franklin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Franklin County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 37,033 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 37,323, in 16,137 households, ranking 35th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Franklin County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.08 percent since the 2020 census base of 37,820, to 37,033 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 377 births against 518 deaths, with net migration of 18. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Franklin County?
$56,740. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,000, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $803 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Franklin County?
696 establishments, employing 6,940 people with an annual payroll of $293.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Franklin County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,376 jobs, 15.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 9,079 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,819, or $900 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Franklin County?
20 7(a) approvals totaling $9.6 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $130,850, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Franklin County?
15 housing units were authorized 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County come from?
The largest single origin is Williamson County, with 267 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,344 against $45,686 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Franklin 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 Franklin County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Franklin County
Cities and places in Franklin.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in Franklin County. All 17 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Frankfort | city | 7,118 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Benton | city | 6,863 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Christopher | city | 2,570 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sesser | city | 2,023 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Zeigler | city | 1,267 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Royalton | village | 1,214 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| North City | village | 715 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West City | village | 662 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Valier | village | 523 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Thompsonville | village | 500 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orient | city | 417 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ewing | village | 341 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hanaford | village | 332 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Buckner | village | 276 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Freeman Spur | village | 149 | None recorded | 51.0 percent here, 49.0 percent Williamson County |
| Mulkeytown | CDP | 117 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Macedonia | village | 31 | None recorded | 45.1 percent here, 54.9 percent Hamilton County |
Nearby