Harlan County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Harlan County, Kentucky had an estimated 25,052 residents on July 1, 2024, down 6.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,834, across 466 square miles. County output reached $759.8 m in 2024, 370 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $257,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Harlan County
How many people live in Harlan County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202425,772
- Households10,731
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$41,693
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$678 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$73,700
- Home value to household income1.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,958
- Population under 186,120
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over5,020
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6414,632
- Civilian labor force8,476
- Unemployment rate9.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.1 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties44th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1624th of 3,222
Harlan County is the 44th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 1.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 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.
Harlan County
Is Harlan County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202425,052
- Census 2020 base population26,834
- Population change since the 2020 census base-6.64 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-250
- Births, 2024305
- Deaths, 2024502
- Natural change, 2024-197
- Net domestic migration, 2024-52
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024-53
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-711
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3070th of 3,144
The county has lost 6.64 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.
Harlan County
Where are people moving to Harlan County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving188
- People arriving, from those returns353
- Tax returns filed by households leaving300
- Net household movement-112
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$33,059
- Average income of a leaving household$35,173
- Largest single originBell County (24 households)
- Largest single destinationBell County (35 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 24 | 52 | $503,000 |
Households arriving report $2,114 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Bell 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.
Harlan County
What is the Harlan County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$759.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$738.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years47.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes58th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2068th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$29,483
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 47.2 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.
Harlan County
Employment by industry in Harlan County
- Covered employment, annual average6,280
- Establishments reporting525
- Average annual pay$44,461
- Average weekly wage$855
- Retail trade, employment846
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,783
- Accommodation and food services, employment455
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$16,233
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment232
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$74,850
- Other services, except public administration, employment123
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$29,105
- Wholesale trade, employment114
- Finance and insurance, employment112
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 846 | 90 | $26,783 |
| Accommodation and food services | 455 | 32 | $16,233 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 232 | 48 | $74,850 |
| Other services, except public administration | 123 | 44 | $29,105 |
| Wholesale trade | 114 | 24 | $49,072 |
| Finance and insurance | 112 | 23 | $42,781 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 96 | 10 | $38,055 |
| Construction | 86 | 25 | $36,147 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 846 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Harlan County
How many businesses are in Harlan County?
- Establishments, all industries370
- Employment at those establishments4,652
- Annual payroll$190.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.4
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.
Harlan County
Building permits in Harlan 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.
Harlan County
SBA loans in Harlan County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$257,000
- Average 7(a) approval$257,000
- Median 7(a) approval$257,000
- Largest single approval$257,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3
- Jobs per approval3.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term156 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 shorter0
- 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.
Harlan County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Harlan County
Do SBA loans in Harlan County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- 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.
Harlan County
How large is Harlan County?
- Land area466 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties17th of 120
- Width, east to west36.3 mi
- Height, north to south24.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land55
- Establishments per square mile0.79
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.
Harlan County
Flood risk in Harlan County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Harlan County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210098
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Harlan 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 Harlan County (community 210098), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Harlan 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 Harlan 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 Harlan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202425,772
- Households10,731
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$41,693
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Harlan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Harlan County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 25,052 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 25,772, in 10,731 households, ranking 44th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Harlan County's population growing?
The population has fallen 6.64 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,834, to 25,052 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 305 births against 502 deaths, with net migration of -53. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Harlan County?
$41,693. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $73,700, which is 1.8 times income, and median gross rent is $678 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Harlan County?
370 establishments, employing 4,652 people with an annual payroll of $190.5 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 Harlan County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 846 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 6,280 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,461, or $855 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Harlan County?
1 7(a) approvals totaling $257,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $257,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Harlan 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 Harlan 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 Harlan County come from?
The largest single origin is Bell County, with 24 households. Arriving households report an average income of $33,059 against $35,173 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Harlan 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 Harlan 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.
Harlan County
Cities and places in Harlan.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Harlan County. All 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan | city | 2,160 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Cumberland | city | 2,037 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Wallins | CDP | 765 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Benham | city | 725 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lynch | city | 709 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Evarts | city | 648 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cawood | CDP | 596 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pathfork | CDP | 542 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Loyall | city | 388 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ages | CDP | 385 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wallins Creek | CDP | 383 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kenvir | CDP | 358 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coldiron | CDP | 193 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coxton | CDP | 137 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby