Fayette County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Fayette County, Kentucky had an estimated 329,437 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 322,566, across 284 square miles. County output reached $28.91 bn in 2024, 9,295 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 304 7(a) approvals worth $141.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Fayette County
How many people live in Fayette County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024323,725
- Households139,715
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$69,479
- Median age35.3
- Median gross rent$1,164 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$293,500
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher48.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over211,551
- Population under 1867,924
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over47,626
- Share 65 and over14.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64208,175
- Civilian labor force180,472
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.6 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties2nd of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included227th of 3,222
Fayette County is the 2nd largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.0 percent against 14.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Fayette County
Is Fayette County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024329,437
- Census 2020 base population322,566
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.13 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20244,813
- Births, 20243,732
- Deaths, 20242,685
- Natural change, 20241,047
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,020
- Net international migration, 20245,804
- Total net migration, 20243,784
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-9,648
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1133rd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.13 percent 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.
Fayette County
Where are people moving to Fayette County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,645
- People arriving, from those returns13,573
- Tax returns filed by households leaving9,759
- Net household movement-1,114
- Adjusted gross income arriving$571.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-104.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$66,051
- Average income of a leaving household$69,190
- Largest single originJessamine County (577 households)
- Largest single destinationJessamine County (796 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jessamine County | 577 | 985 | $38.7 m |
| Madison County | 446 | 676 | $20.9 m |
| Scott County | 402 | 657 | $20.7 m |
| Jefferson County | 380 | 535 | $22.5 m |
| Woodford County | 206 | 322 | $18.3 m |
| Clark County | 181 | 299 | $10.1 m |
| Franklin County | 163 | 236 | $9.5 m |
| Bourbon County | 134 | 207 | $7.2 m |
Households arriving report $3,139 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Jessamine 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.
Fayette County
What is the Fayette County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$28.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$27.55 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years36.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes2nd of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes202nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$89,300
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 36.8 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.
Fayette County
Employment by industry in Fayette County
- Covered employment, annual average204,412
- Establishments reporting15,142
- Average annual pay$64,489
- Average weekly wage$1,240
- Health care and social assistance, employment27,200
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$65,966
- Accommodation and food services, employment20,701
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$25,689
- Retail trade, employment19,577
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,091
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment13,629
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$90,674
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment12,515
- Manufacturing, employment11,026
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 27,200 | 1,940 | $65,966 |
| Accommodation and food services | 20,701 | 986 | $25,689 |
| Retail trade | 19,577 | 1,369 | $39,091 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 13,629 | 2,929 | $90,674 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 12,515 | 921 | $42,716 |
| Manufacturing | 11,026 | 591 | $82,318 |
| Construction | 10,816 | 909 | $77,331 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8,868 | 274 | $52,999 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 27,200 jobs, 13.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Fayette County
How many businesses are in Fayette County?
- Establishments, all industries9,295
- Employment at those establishments171,507
- Annual payroll$9.58 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.7
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.
Fayette County
Building permits in Fayette County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,036
- Declared construction value permitted$162.2 m
- Single family units authorized492
- Multifamily units authorized544
- Multifamily share of units52.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$156,595
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.4
Multifamily is 52.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fayette County
SBA loans in Fayette County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded304
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$141.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$465,628
- Median 7(a) approval$194,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,311,970
- Largest single approval$4,470,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,852
- Jobs per approval12.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active53
- Distinct industries receiving approvals134
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms26
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter260
- Franchise loans66
- Franchise share of approvals21.7 percent
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (34)
- 504 approvals recorded62
- 504 gross approval dollars$37.0 m
- Average 504 approval$596,694
- Median 504 approval$467,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval8.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.9
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (52)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$178.5 m
The average approval of $465,628 sits well above the median of $194,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 8.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Fayette County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Fayette County
Do SBA loans in Fayette County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded68
- Paid in full58
- Charged off10
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans14.7 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure178
- Status: Paid in full58
- Status: Cancelled40
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed18
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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.
Fayette County
SBA lending by place in Fayette County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Lexington, approvals302
- Danville, approvals1
- Cleveland, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 302 | $141,175,800 |
| Danville | 1 | $250,000 |
| Cleveland | 1 | $125,000 |
Lexington accounts for 302 approvals against 1 in Danville. 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.
Fayette County
How large is Fayette County?
- Land area284 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties71st of 120
- Width, east to west20.4 mi
- Height, north to south24.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land1,140
- Establishments per square mile32.73
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.
Fayette County
Flood risk in Fayette County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- 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 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Fayette County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Fayette 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 6, 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 Fayette 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 Fayette County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024323,725
- Households139,715
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$69,479
- Median age35.3
Common questions
Fayette County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fayette County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 329,437 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 323,725, in 139,715 households, ranking 2nd of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fayette County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.13 percent since the 2020 census base of 322,566, to 329,437 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,732 births against 2,685 deaths, with net migration of 3,784. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fayette County?
$69,479. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $293,500, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,164 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Fayette County?
9,295 establishments, employing 171,507 people with an annual payroll of $9.58 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Fayette County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 27,200 jobs, 13.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 204,412 jobs at an average annual pay of $64,489, or $1,240 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fayette County?
304 7(a) approvals totaling $141.6 m since FY2020, across 53 lenders, with a median approval of $194,000, plus 62 504 approvals worth $37.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Fayette County get paid back?
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 58 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge-off rate of 14.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Fayette County?
1,036 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $162.2 m. Multifamily was 52.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fayette 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 Fayette County come from?
The largest single origin is Jessamine County, with 577 households. Arriving households report an average income of $66,051 against $69,190 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Fayette 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 Fayette 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.
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