Bell County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Bell County, Kentucky had an estimated 23,051 residents on July 1, 2024, down 4.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 24,098, across 359 square miles. County output reached $997.4 m in 2024, 436 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $3.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Bell County
How many people live in Bell County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202423,509
- Households9,939
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$31,354
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$592 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$89,000
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,627
- Population under 185,138
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over4,453
- Share 65 and over18.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,918
- Civilian labor force8,079
- Unemployment rate10.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.0 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties50th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1709th of 3,222
Bell County is the 50th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 18.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bell County
Is Bell County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202423,051
- Census 2020 base population24,098
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.34 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-157
- Births, 2024263
- Deaths, 2024385
- Natural change, 2024-122
- Net domestic migration, 2024-34
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024-36
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-141
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2931st of 3,144
The county has lost 4.34 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Bell County
Where are people moving to Bell County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving411
- People arriving, from those returns803
- Tax returns filed by households leaving426
- Net household movement-15
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$711,000
- Average income of an arriving household$35,307
- Average income of a leaving household$32,394
- Largest single originClaiborne County (77 households)
- Largest single destinationClaiborne County (101 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claiborne County | 77 | 150 | $2.6 m |
| Knox County | 36 | 91 | $1.6 m |
| Harlan County | 35 | 76 | $991,000 |
Households arriving report $2,913 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Claiborne 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.
Bell County
What is the Bell County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$997.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$981.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.6 percent
- GDP change over five years32.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes51st of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1846th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$42,427
Output grew 1.6 percent in the latest year and 32.1 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.
Bell County
Employment by industry in Bell County
- Covered employment, annual average8,335
- Establishments reporting612
- Average annual pay$42,450
- Average weekly wage$816
- Retail trade, employment1,543
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,317
- Manufacturing, employment1,109
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$55,260
- Other services, except public administration, employment266
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$29,992
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment225
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$68,242
- Finance and insurance, employment207
- Construction, employment184
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,543 | 122 | $32,317 |
| Manufacturing | 1,109 | 18 | $55,260 |
| Other services, except public administration | 266 | 49 | $29,992 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 225 | 11 | $68,242 |
| Finance and insurance | 207 | 35 | $57,441 |
| Construction | 184 | 22 | $62,045 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 182 | 26 | $65,689 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 141 | 41 | $61,122 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,543 jobs, 18.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bell County
How many businesses are in Bell County?
- Establishments, all industries436
- Employment at those establishments6,692
- Annual payroll$259.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.5
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.
Bell County
Building permits in Bell County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202444
- Declared construction value permitted$4.6 m
- Single family units authorized44
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$104,704
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.4
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.
Bell County
SBA loans in Bell County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$474,913
- Median 7(a) approval$387,150
- Largest single approval$1,233,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)128
- Jobs per approval16.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (5)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bell County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Bell County
Do SBA loans in Bell County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Bell County
SBA lending by place in Bell County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Middlesboro, approvals6
- Pineville, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesboro | 6 | $2,466,300 |
| Pineville | 2 | $1,333,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Bell County
How large is Bell County?
- Land area359 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties42nd of 120
- Width, east to west27.5 mi
- Height, north to south25.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land65
- Establishments per square mile1.21
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.
Bell County
Flood risk in Bell County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Bell County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210010
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 10
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 10
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Bell 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 Bell County (community 210010), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 10, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Bell 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 10, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 Bell 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 Bell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202423,509
- Households9,939
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$31,354
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Bell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bell County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 23,051 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 23,509, in 9,939 households, ranking 50th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bell County's population growing?
The population has fallen 4.34 percent since the 2020 census base of 24,098, to 23,051 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 263 births against 385 deaths, with net migration of -36. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bell County?
$31,354. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,000, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $592 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Bell County?
436 establishments, employing 6,692 people with an annual payroll of $259.7 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 Bell County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,543 jobs, 18.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 8,335 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,450, or $816 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bell County?
8 7(a) approvals totaling $3.8 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $387,150. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Bell County?
44 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bell 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 Bell County come from?
The largest single origin is Claiborne County, with 77 households. Arriving households report an average income of $35,307 against $32,394 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bell 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 Bell 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.
Bell County
Cities and places in Bell.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Bell County. All 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesborough | city | 9,123 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pineville | city | 2,064 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Arjay | CDP | 56 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 6 of the county's 8 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Bell County, the largest being Middlesboro (6). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.