Garrard County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Garrard County, Kentucky had an estimated 18,040 residents on July 1, 2024, up 6.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,946, across 230 square miles. County output reached $431.8 m in 2024, 251 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Garrard County
How many people live in Garrard County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,568
- Households6,695
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$63,087
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$794 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$204,900
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,524
- Population under 183,791
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,289
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,488
- Civilian labor force7,788
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.5 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties66th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2005th of 3,222
Garrard County is the 66th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.6 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.
Garrard County
Is Garrard County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202418,040
- Census 2020 base population16,946
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.46 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024152
- Births, 2024180
- Deaths, 2024233
- Natural change, 2024-53
- Net domestic migration, 2024129
- Net international migration, 202476
- Total net migration, 2024205
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,185
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents356th of 3,144
The county has grown 6.46 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.
Garrard County
Where are people moving to Garrard County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving556
- People arriving, from those returns1,148
- Tax returns filed by households leaving429
- Net household movement127
- Adjusted gross income arriving$38.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$17.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$68,874
- Average income of a leaving household$49,406
- Largest single originJessamine County (87 households)
- Largest single destinationJessamine County (65 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jessamine County | 87 | 181 | $5.2 m |
| Fayette County | 62 | 110 | $4.1 m |
| Madison County | 54 | 127 | $3.7 m |
| Lincoln County | 53 | 117 | $2.0 m |
| Boyle County | 39 | 82 | $3.1 m |
| Mercer County | 24 | 51 | $829,000 |
Households arriving report $19,468 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 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.
Garrard County
What is the Garrard County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$431.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$391.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.3 percent
- GDP change over five years56.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes84th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2494th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$24,578
Output grew 10.3 percent in the latest year and 56.7 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.
Garrard County
Employment by industry in Garrard County
- Covered employment, annual average2,759
- Establishments reporting424
- Average annual pay$48,370
- Average weekly wage$930
- Construction, employment595
- Construction, average annual pay$61,981
- Health care and social assistance, employment312
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$47,856
- Retail trade, employment309
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,214
- Manufacturing, employment127
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$48,027
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment101
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment93
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 595 | 70 | $61,981 |
| Health care and social assistance | 312 | 62 | $47,856 |
| Retail trade | 309 | 39 | $33,214 |
| Manufacturing | 127 | 24 | $48,027 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 101 | 47 | $69,288 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 93 | 27 | $53,135 |
| Wholesale trade | 79 | 18 | $75,356 |
| Other services, except public administration | 78 | 22 | $45,688 |
Construction is the largest private sector at 595 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Garrard County
How many businesses are in Garrard County?
- Establishments, all industries251
- Employment at those establishments1,654
- Annual payroll$71.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.3
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.
Garrard County
Building permits in Garrard County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Garrard County
SBA loans in Garrard County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$300,845
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- Largest single approval$640,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)39
- Jobs per approval3.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- 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 shorter10
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countInsurance Agencies and Brokerages (5)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (5)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Garrard County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Garrard County
Do SBA loans in Garrard County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
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.
Garrard County
How large is Garrard County?
- Land area230 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties93rd of 120
- Width, east to west21.7 mi
- Height, north to south24.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land76
- Establishments per square mile1.09
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.
Garrard County
Flood risk in Garrard County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Garrard County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210081
- 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 Garrard 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 Garrard County (community 210081), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Garrard 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 Garrard 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 Garrard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202417,568
- Households6,695
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$63,087
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Garrard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Garrard County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 18,040 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 17,568, in 6,695 households, ranking 66th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Garrard County's population growing?
The population has grown 6.46 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,946, to 18,040 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 180 births against 233 deaths, with net migration of 205. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Garrard County?
$63,087. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $204,900, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $794 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Garrard County?
251 establishments, employing 1,654 people with an annual payroll of $71.4 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 Garrard County?
Construction is the largest private sector at 595 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,759 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,370, or $930 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Garrard County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Garrard County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Garrard 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 Garrard County come from?
The largest single origin is Jessamine County, with 87 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,874 against $49,406 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Garrard 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 Garrard 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.
Garrard County
Cities and places in Garrard.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Garrard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | city | 4,013 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
Nearby