Lawrence County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Lawrence County, Kentucky had an estimated 15,798 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,290, across 416 square miles. County output reached $538.7 m in 2024, 207 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $1.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Lawrence County
How many people live in Lawrence County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,077
- Households6,342
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$46,772
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$760 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$111,700
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,223
- Population under 183,763
- Share under 1823.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,279
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,035
- Civilian labor force5,989
- Unemployment rate7.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over48.6 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties70th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2094th of 3,222
Lawrence County is the 70th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.4 percent against 20.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Lawrence County
Is Lawrence County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202415,798
- Census 2020 base population16,290
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.02 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-176
- Births, 2024122
- Deaths, 2024236
- Natural change, 2024-114
- Net domestic migration, 2024-62
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024-63
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-90
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2743rd of 3,144
The county has lost 3.02 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.
Lawrence County
Where are people moving to Lawrence County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving274
- People arriving, from those returns551
- Tax returns filed by households leaving295
- Net household movement-21
- Adjusted gross income arriving$12.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$1.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$46,642
- Average income of a leaving household$39,898
- Largest single originJohnson County (32 households)
- Largest single destinationBoyd County (44 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 32 | 76 | $1.4 m |
| Wayne County | 28 | 63 | $1.1 m |
| Boyd County | 23 | 39 | $1.1 m |
| Martin County | 22 | 55 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $6,744 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 Johnson 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.
Lawrence County
What is the Lawrence County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$538.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$530.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.6 percent
- GDP change over five years43.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes72nd of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2359th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$33,506
Output grew 1.6 percent in the latest year and 43.5 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.
Lawrence County
Employment by industry in Lawrence County
- Covered employment, annual average4,232
- Establishments reporting353
- Average annual pay$44,742
- Average weekly wage$860
- Retail trade, employment622
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,644
- Other services, except public administration, employment152
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$33,536
- Construction, employment103
- Construction, average annual pay$50,115
- Finance and insurance, employment69
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$35,880
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment57
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment56
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 622 | 54 | $28,644 |
| Other services, except public administration | 152 | 27 | $33,536 |
| Construction | 103 | 30 | $50,115 |
| Finance and insurance | 69 | 18 | $35,880 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 57 | 13 | $35,486 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 56 | 24 | $66,612 |
| Manufacturing | 48 | 6 | $47,615 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 622 jobs, 14.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lawrence County
How many businesses are in Lawrence County?
- Establishments, all industries207
- Employment at those establishments2,950
- Annual payroll$128.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.9
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.
Lawrence County
SBA loans in Lawrence County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$247,357
- Median 7(a) approval$37,500
- Largest single approval$999,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)171
- Jobs per approval24.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderCommunity Trust Bank, Inc. (6)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lawrence County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Lawrence County
Do SBA loans in Lawrence County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Lawrence County
How large is Lawrence County?
- Land area416 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties29th of 120
- Width, east to west30.4 mi
- Height, north to south25.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land39
- Establishments per square mile0.50
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.
Lawrence County
Flood risk in Lawrence County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Lawrence County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210258
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County (community 210258), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Lawrence 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. 66.7 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,077
- Households6,342
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$46,772
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Lawrence County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lawrence County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 15,798 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,077, in 6,342 households, ranking 70th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lawrence County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.02 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,290, to 15,798 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 122 births against 236 deaths, with net migration of -63. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lawrence County?
$46,772. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $111,700, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $760 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Lawrence County?
207 establishments, employing 2,950 people with an annual payroll of $128.8 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 Lawrence County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 622 jobs, 14.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,232 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,742, or $860 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lawrence County?
7 7(a) approvals totaling $1.7 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $37,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is the radon zone for Lawrence 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 Lawrence County come from?
The largest single origin is Johnson County, with 32 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,642 against $39,898 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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.
Lawrence County
Cities and places in Lawrence.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Lawrence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa | city | 2,580 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Blaine | city | 80 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |