Owen County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Owen County, Kentucky had an estimated 11,435 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,268, across 351 square miles. County output reached $262.7 m in 2024, 133 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $5.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Owen County
How many people live in Owen County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,330
- Households4,252
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$61,134
- Median age42.3
- Median gross rent$830 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,700
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,898
- Population under 182,499
- Share under 1822.1 percent
- Population 65 and over2,272
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,559
- Civilian labor force5,298
- Unemployment rate7.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.0 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties94th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2397th of 3,222
Owen County is the 94th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.1 percent against 20.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Owen County
Is Owen County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,435
- Census 2020 base population11,268
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.48 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024126
- Births, 2024105
- Deaths, 2024141
- Natural change, 2024-36
- Net domestic migration, 2024154
- Net international migration, 20249
- Total net migration, 2024163
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024325
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1341st of 3,144
The county has grown 1.48 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.
Owen County
Where are people moving to Owen County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving289
- People arriving, from those returns603
- Tax returns filed by households leaving244
- Net household movement45
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$3.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$53,377
- Average income of a leaving household$50,180
- Largest single originBoone County (34 households)
- Largest single destinationCarroll County (34 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 34 | 63 | $1.7 m |
| Franklin County | 31 | 74 | $1.3 m |
| Grant County | 28 | 68 | $1.0 m |
| Scott County | 24 | 44 | $1.3 m |
| Carroll County | 22 | 41 | $719,000 |
Households arriving report $3,197 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 Boone 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.
Owen County
What is the Owen County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$262.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$241.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.7 percent
- GDP change over five years43.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes102nd of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2782nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$23,188
Output grew 8.7 percent in the latest year and 43.7 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.
Owen County
Employment by industry in Owen County
- Covered employment, annual average1,540
- Establishments reporting182
- Average annual pay$50,249
- Average weekly wage$966
- Wholesale trade, employment193
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$82,571
- Retail trade, employment188
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,352
- Manufacturing, employment85
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$69,731
- Construction, employment33
- Construction, average annual pay$69,296
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment28
- Other services, except public administration, employment28
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 193 | 7 | $82,571 |
| Retail trade | 188 | 31 | $28,352 |
| Manufacturing | 85 | 5 | $69,731 |
| Construction | 33 | 11 | $69,296 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 28 | 16 | $70,033 |
| Other services, except public administration | 28 | 10 | $30,027 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 20 | 5 | $35,702 |
| Information | 6 | 7 | $52,515 |
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 193 jobs, 12.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Owen County
How many businesses are in Owen County?
- Establishments, all industries133
- Employment at those establishments969
- Annual payroll$39.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.7
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.
Owen County
Building permits in Owen County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202418
- Declared construction value permitted$4.9 m
- Single family units authorized18
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$273,698
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Owen County
SBA loans in Owen County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,303,100
- Median 7(a) approval$96,200
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)239
- Jobs per approval59.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term102 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- 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.
Owen County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Owen County
Do SBA loans in Owen County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 2 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.
Owen County
How large is Owen County?
- Land area351 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties44th of 120
- Width, east to west26.7 mi
- Height, north to south25.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land32
- Establishments per square mile0.38
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.
Owen County
Flood risk in Owen County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Owen County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210186
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Owen 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 Owen County (community 210186), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Owen 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 Owen 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 Owen County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,330
- Households4,252
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$61,134
- Median age42.3
Common questions
Owen County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Owen County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,435 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 11,330, in 4,252 households, ranking 94th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Owen County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.48 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,268, to 11,435 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 105 births against 141 deaths, with net migration of 163. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Owen County?
$61,134. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,700, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $830 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Owen County?
133 establishments, employing 969 people with an annual payroll of $39.9 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 Owen County?
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 193 jobs, 12.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,540 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,249, or $966 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Owen County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $5.2 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $96,200. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Owen County?
18 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Owen 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 Owen County come from?
The largest single origin is Boone County, with 34 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,377 against $50,180 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Owen 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 Owen 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.
Owen County
Cities and places in Owen.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Owen County. All 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owenton | city | 1,511 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Sparta | city | 272 | None recorded | 6.5 percent here, 93.5 percent Gallatin County |
| Monterey | city | 92 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gratz | city | 80 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby