Breathitt County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Breathitt County, Kentucky had an estimated 12,804 residents on July 1, 2024, down 6.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,722, across 492 square miles. County output reached $306.9 m in 2024, 149 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $109,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Breathitt County
How many people live in Breathitt County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202413,276
- Households5,464
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$34,808
- Median age42.8
- Median gross rent$548 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$70,300
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,559
- Population under 182,812
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over2,481
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,983
- Civilian labor force4,626
- Unemployment rate9.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.2 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties80th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2270th of 3,222
Breathitt County is the 80th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 18.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Breathitt County
Is Breathitt County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202412,804
- Census 2020 base population13,722
- Population change since the 2020 census base-6.69 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-158
- Births, 2024137
- Deaths, 2024216
- Natural change, 2024-79
- Net domestic migration, 2024-95
- Net international migration, 202414
- Total net migration, 2024-81
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-549
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3075th of 3,144
The county has lost 6.69 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.
Breathitt County
Where are people moving to Breathitt County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving145
- People arriving, from those returns281
- Tax returns filed by households leaving198
- Net household movement-53
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$34,779
- Average income of a leaving household$36,747
- Largest single originPerry County (28 households)
- Largest single destinationPerry County (39 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 28 | 59 | $721,000 |
Households arriving report $1,968 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Perry 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.
Breathitt County
What is the Breathitt County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$306.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$284.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.8 percent
- GDP change over five years39.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes95th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2690th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$23,116
Output grew 7.8 percent in the latest year and 39.6 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.
Breathitt County
Employment by industry in Breathitt County
- Covered employment, annual average2,635
- Establishments reporting354
- Average annual pay$46,008
- Average weekly wage$885
- Retail trade, employment461
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,979
- Finance and insurance, employment80
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$58,850
- Transportation and warehousing, employment72
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$65,881
- Wholesale trade, employment70
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$49,640
- Construction, employment53
- Other services, except public administration, employment41
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 461 | 39 | $31,979 |
| Finance and insurance | 80 | 11 | $58,850 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 72 | 9 | $65,881 |
| Wholesale trade | 70 | 7 | $49,640 |
| Construction | 53 | 8 | $65,097 |
| Other services, except public administration | 41 | 37 | $35,982 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 30 | 22 | $63,563 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 16 | 4 | $36,829 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 461 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Breathitt County
How many businesses are in Breathitt County?
- Establishments, all industries149
- Employment at those establishments1,945
- Annual payroll$69.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.2
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.
Breathitt County
Building permits in Breathitt County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$600,000
- Single family units authorized4
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$150,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.7
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.
Breathitt County
SBA loans in Breathitt County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$109,000
- Average 7(a) approval$36,333
- Median 7(a) approval$20,000
- Largest single approval$69,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)28
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 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
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Breathitt County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Breathitt County
Do SBA loans in Breathitt County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Only 0 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.
Breathitt County
How large is Breathitt County?
- Land area492 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties12th of 120
- Width, east to west34.6 mi
- Height, north to south24.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.30
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.
Breathitt County
Flood risk in Breathitt County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Breathitt County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210023
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Breathitt 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 Breathitt County (community 210023), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Breathitt 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. 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 Breathitt 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 Breathitt County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202413,276
- Households5,464
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$34,808
- Median age42.8
Common questions
Breathitt County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Breathitt County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 12,804 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 13,276, in 5,464 households, ranking 80th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Breathitt County's population growing?
The population has fallen 6.69 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,722, to 12,804 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 137 births against 216 deaths, with net migration of -81. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Breathitt County?
$34,808. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $70,300, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $548 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Breathitt County?
149 establishments, employing 1,945 people with an annual payroll of $69.9 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 Breathitt County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 461 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,635 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,008, or $885 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Breathitt County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $109,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $20,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Breathitt County?
4 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $600,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Breathitt 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 Breathitt County come from?
The largest single origin is Perry County, with 28 households. Arriving households report an average income of $34,779 against $36,747 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Breathitt 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 Breathitt 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.
Breathitt County
Cities and places in Breathitt.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Breathitt County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | city | 2,015 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
Nearby