Bourbon County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Bourbon County, Kentucky had an estimated 20,333 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,243, across 290 square miles. County output reached $1.31 bn in 2024, 382 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $4.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Bourbon County
How many people live in Bourbon County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,240
- Households8,134
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$61,354
- Median age41.8
- Median gross rent$822 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$229,300
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,844
- Population under 184,622
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over3,951
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,667
- Civilian labor force9,466
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties56th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1861st of 3,222
Bourbon County is the 56th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 19.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bourbon County
Is Bourbon County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202420,333
- Census 2020 base population20,243
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.44 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024113
- Births, 2024205
- Deaths, 2024268
- Natural change, 2024-63
- Net domestic migration, 2024114
- Net international migration, 202466
- Total net migration, 2024180
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024195
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1672nd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.44 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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.
Bourbon County
Where are people moving to Bourbon County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving559
- People arriving, from those returns1,027
- Tax returns filed by households leaving498
- Net household movement61
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$12.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$61,077
- Average income of a leaving household$44,506
- Largest single originFayette County (153 households)
- Largest single destinationFayette County (134 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 153 | 280 | $10.2 m |
| Scott County | 51 | 88 | $2.7 m |
| Nicholas County | 43 | 94 | $2.1 m |
| Harrison County | 38 | 75 | $1.6 m |
| Clark County | 27 | 43 | $1.5 m |
Households arriving report $16,571 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 Fayette 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.
Bourbon County
What is the Bourbon County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.31 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.19 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.6 percent
- GDP change over five years51.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes39th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1622nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$64,692
Output grew 9.6 percent in the latest year and 51.9 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.
Bourbon County
Employment by industry in Bourbon County
- Covered employment, annual average7,092
- Establishments reporting646
- Average annual pay$53,178
- Average weekly wage$1,023
- Retail trade, employment1,130
- Retail trade, average annual pay$47,432
- Manufacturing, employment1,125
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$73,614
- Health care and social assistance, employment618
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$46,725
- Wholesale trade, employment612
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$74,384
- Accommodation and food services, employment527
- Construction, employment318
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,130 | 63 | $47,432 |
| Manufacturing | 1,125 | 24 | $73,614 |
| Health care and social assistance | 618 | 72 | $46,725 |
| Wholesale trade | 612 | 31 | $74,384 |
| Accommodation and food services | 527 | 32 | $19,078 |
| Construction | 318 | 55 | $65,746 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 211 | 23 | $29,148 |
| Finance and insurance | 171 | 25 | $63,772 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,130 jobs, 15.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Bourbon County
How many businesses are in Bourbon County?
- Establishments, all industries382
- Employment at those establishments5,084
- Annual payroll$266.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Bourbon County
Building permits in Bourbon County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202490
- Declared construction value permitted$21.1 m
- Single family units authorized68
- Multifamily units authorized22
- Multifamily share of units24.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$234,563
- Units authorized per 1,000 households11.1
Single-family homes are 75.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bourbon County
SBA loans in Bourbon County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$252,756
- Median 7(a) approval$135,500
- Largest single approval$1,031,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)180
- Jobs per approval11.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term114 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter14
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (6)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$844,000
- Average 504 approval$281,333
- Median 504 approval$191,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.5
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$4.9 m
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.
Bourbon County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Bourbon County
Do SBA loans in Bourbon County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full4
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 5 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.
Bourbon County
How large is Bourbon County?
- Land area290 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties67th of 120
- Width, east to west25.3 mi
- Height, north to south21 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land70
- Establishments per square mile1.32
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.
Bourbon County
Flood risk in Bourbon County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Bourbon County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210271
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Bourbon County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Bourbon County (community 210271), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Bourbon County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 75.0 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 Bourbon 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 Bourbon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,240
- Households8,134
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$61,354
- Median age41.8
Common questions
Bourbon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bourbon County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 20,333 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 20,240, in 8,134 households, ranking 56th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bourbon County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.44 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,243, to 20,333 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 205 births against 268 deaths, with net migration of 180. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bourbon County?
$61,354. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $229,300, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $822 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Bourbon County?
382 establishments, employing 5,084 people with an annual payroll of $266.3 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 Bourbon County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,130 jobs, 15.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,092 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,178, or $1,023 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bourbon County?
16 7(a) approvals totaling $4.0 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $135,500, plus 3 504 approvals worth $844,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Bourbon County?
90 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $21.1 m. Multifamily was 24.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bourbon 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 Bourbon County come from?
The largest single origin is Fayette County, with 153 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,077 against $44,506 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Bourbon 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 Bourbon 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.
Bourbon County
Cities and places in Bourbon.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Bourbon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | city | 10,160 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Millersburg | city | 819 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| North Middletown | city | 679 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby