Caldwell County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Caldwell County, Kentucky had an estimated 12,611 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 12,647, across 345 square miles. County output reached $543.0 m in 2024, 266 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $5.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Caldwell County
How many people live in Caldwell County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,618
- Households5,025
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$59,583
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$767 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$118,500
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,856
- Population under 182,895
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,704
- Share 65 and over21.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,019
- Civilian labor force5,613
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.7 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties87th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2308th of 3,222
Caldwell County is the 87th 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 22.9 percent against 21.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Caldwell County
Is Caldwell County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202412,611
- Census 2020 base population12,647
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.28 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202450
- Births, 2024151
- Deaths, 2024126
- Natural change, 202425
- Net domestic migration, 202429
- Net international migration, 2024-3
- Total net migration, 202426
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202450
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1954th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.28 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Caldwell County
Where are people moving to Caldwell County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving291
- People arriving, from those returns583
- Tax returns filed by households leaving308
- Net household movement-17
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$40,220
- Average income of a leaving household$41,338
- Largest single originHopkins County (53 households)
- Largest single destinationLyon County (42 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hopkins County | 53 | 111 | $2.0 m |
| Lyon County | 36 | 64 | $1.6 m |
| Christian County | 25 | 62 | $848,000 |
Households arriving report $1,118 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Hopkins 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.
Caldwell County
What is the Caldwell County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$543.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$540.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.5 percent
- GDP change over five years30.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes68th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2354th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$43,031
Output grew 0.5 percent in the latest year and 30.7 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.
Caldwell County
Employment by industry in Caldwell County
- Covered employment, annual average4,693
- Establishments reporting380
- Average annual pay$43,790
- Average weekly wage$842
- Manufacturing, employment1,183
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$54,646
- Retail trade, employment772
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,651
- Health care and social assistance, employment515
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$52,098
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment355
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$31,719
- Finance and insurance, employment124
- Transportation and warehousing, employment121
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,183 | 13 | $54,646 |
| Retail trade | 772 | 66 | $34,651 |
| Health care and social assistance | 515 | 54 | $52,098 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 355 | 15 | $31,719 |
| Finance and insurance | 124 | 20 | $54,984 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 121 | 11 | $54,859 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 92 | 8 | $55,159 |
| Other services, except public administration | 89 | 26 | $36,818 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,183 jobs, 25.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Caldwell County
How many businesses are in Caldwell County?
- Establishments, all industries266
- Employment at those establishments3,557
- Annual payroll$152.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Caldwell County
Building permits in Caldwell County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202450
- Declared construction value permitted$12.5 m
- Single family units authorized50
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$250,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households10.0
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.
Caldwell County
SBA loans in Caldwell County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,073,680
- Median 7(a) approval$378,400
- Largest single approval$4,280,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)75
- Jobs per approval15.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- 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.
Caldwell County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Caldwell County
Do SBA loans in Caldwell County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
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.
Caldwell County
SBA lending by place in Caldwell County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Princeton, approvals4
- Dawson Springs, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 4 | $4,990,000 |
| Dawson Springs | 1 | $378,400 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Caldwell County
How large is Caldwell County?
- Land area345 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties47th of 120
- Width, east to west22.9 mi
- Height, north to south29 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land37
- Establishments per square mile0.77
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.
Caldwell County
Flood risk in Caldwell County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Caldwell County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210328
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Caldwell 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 Caldwell County (community 210328), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,618
- Households5,025
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$59,583
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Caldwell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Caldwell County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 12,611 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 12,618, in 5,025 households, ranking 87th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Caldwell County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.28 percent since the 2020 census base of 12,647, to 12,611 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 151 births against 126 deaths, with net migration of 26. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Caldwell County?
$59,583. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $118,500, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $767 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Caldwell County?
266 establishments, employing 3,557 people with an annual payroll of $152.5 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 Caldwell County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,183 jobs, 25.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,693 jobs at an average annual pay of $43,790, or $842 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Caldwell County?
5 7(a) approvals totaling $5.4 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $378,400. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Caldwell County?
50 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Caldwell 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 Caldwell County come from?
The largest single origin is Hopkins County, with 53 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,220 against $41,338 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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.
Caldwell County
Cities and places in Caldwell.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Caldwell County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | city | 6,241 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Fredonia | city | 466 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 5 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Caldwell County, the largest being Dawson Springs (1). 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.
Nearby