McCreary County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
McCreary County, Kentucky had an estimated 16,824 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,887, across 427 square miles. County output reached $348.9 m in 2024, 157 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $999,900 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
McCreary County
How many people live in McCreary County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,867
- Households5,861
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$33,750
- Median age39.0
- Median gross rent$577 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$85,300
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,910
- Population under 183,672
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,737
- Share 65 and over16.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,458
- Civilian labor force4,799
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over36.4 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties68th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2046th of 3,222
McCreary County is the 68th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.8 percent against 16.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McCreary County
Is McCreary County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,824
- Census 2020 base population16,887
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.37 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-245
- Births, 2024186
- Deaths, 2024279
- Natural change, 2024-93
- Net domestic migration, 2024-154
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-152
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024286
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1974th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.37 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.
McCreary County
Where are people moving to McCreary County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving229
- People arriving, from those returns447
- Tax returns filed by households leaving169
- Net household movement60
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$31,843
- Average income of a leaving household$28,467
- Largest single originPulaski County (44 households)
- Largest single destinationPulaski County (41 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County | 44 | 89 | $1.4 m |
| Scott County | 29 | 59 | $857,000 |
| Whitley County | 24 | 53 | $698,000 |
Households arriving report $3,376 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 Pulaski 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.
McCreary County
What is the McCreary County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$348.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$329.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years23.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes90th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2629th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$20,684
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 23.0 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.
McCreary County
Employment by industry in McCreary County
- Covered employment, annual average2,873
- Establishments reporting303
- Average annual pay$46,870
- Average weekly wage$901
- Manufacturing, employment351
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$45,118
- Retail trade, employment327
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,893
- Accommodation and food services, employment223
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$14,769
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment39
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$53,463
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment30
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 351 | 14 | $45,118 |
| Retail trade | 327 | 48 | $30,893 |
| Accommodation and food services | 223 | 23 | $14,769 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 39 | 6 | $53,463 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 30 | 16 | $37,737 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 351 jobs, 12.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
McCreary County
How many businesses are in McCreary County?
- Establishments, all industries157
- Employment at those establishments1,522
- Annual payroll$50.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents9.3
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.
McCreary County
Building permits in McCreary 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.
McCreary County
SBA loans in McCreary County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$999,900
- Average 7(a) approval$999,900
- Median 7(a) approval$999,900
- Largest single approval$999,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)29
- Jobs per approval29.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- 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 shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,341,000
- Median 504 approval$1,341,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval40.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved29.8
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$2.3 m
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.
McCreary County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in McCreary County
Do SBA loans in McCreary 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.
McCreary County
How large is McCreary County?
- Land area427 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties26th of 120
- Width, east to west30.5 mi
- Height, north to south25.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land40
- Establishments per square mile0.37
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.
McCreary County
Flood risk in McCreary County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community McCreary County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210343
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in McCreary 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 McCreary County (community 210343), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places McCreary 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 McCreary 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 McCreary County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,867
- Households5,861
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$33,750
- Median age39.0
Common questions
McCreary County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McCreary County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,824 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,867, in 5,861 households, ranking 68th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McCreary County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.37 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,887, to 16,824 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 186 births against 279 deaths, with net migration of -152. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McCreary County?
$33,750. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $85,300, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $577 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in McCreary County?
157 establishments, employing 1,522 people with an annual payroll of $50.5 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 McCreary County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 351 jobs, 12.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,873 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,870, or $901 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McCreary County?
1 7(a) approvals totaling $999,900 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $999,900, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in McCreary 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 McCreary 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 McCreary County come from?
The largest single origin is Pulaski County, with 44 households. Arriving households report an average income of $31,843 against $28,467 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for McCreary 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 McCreary 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.
McCreary County
Cities and places in McCreary.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in McCreary County. All 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns | CDP | 1,271 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Knot | CDP | 1,051 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Whitley City | CDP | 963 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
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