Perry County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Perry County, Kentucky had an estimated 26,739 residents on July 1, 2024, down 6.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 28,471, across 340 square miles. County output reached $1.29 bn in 2024, 556 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $75,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Perry County
How many people live in Perry County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202427,499
- Households11,078
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$42,181
- Median age41.5
- Median gross rent$798 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$91,800
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over19,251
- Population under 186,435
- Share under 1823.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,948
- Share 65 and over18.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,116
- Civilian labor force10,361
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.2 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties39th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1564th of 3,222
Perry County is the 39th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.4 percent against 18.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Perry County
Is Perry County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202426,739
- Census 2020 base population28,471
- Population change since the 2020 census base-6.08 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-343
- Births, 2024311
- Deaths, 2024512
- Natural change, 2024-201
- Net domestic migration, 2024-138
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024-140
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-780
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3052nd of 3,144
The county has lost 6.08 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.
Perry County
Where are people moving to Perry County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving349
- People arriving, from those returns649
- Tax returns filed by households leaving407
- Net household movement-58
- Adjusted gross income arriving$12.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-7.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$35,080
- Average income of a leaving household$48,044
- Largest single originKnott County (77 households)
- Largest single destinationKnott County (64 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knott County | 77 | 167 | $3.0 m |
| Breathitt County | 39 | 70 | $983,000 |
| Leslie County | 29 | 52 | $943,000 |
| Letcher County | 28 | 55 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $12,964 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Knott 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.
Perry County
What is the Perry County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.29 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.27 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.1 percent
- GDP change over five years33.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes40th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1634th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$47,076
Output grew 2.1 percent in the latest year and 33.4 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.
Perry County
Employment by industry in Perry County
- Covered employment, annual average11,351
- Establishments reporting948
- Average annual pay$51,907
- Average weekly wage$998
- Retail trade, employment1,641
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,609
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment452
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$34,202
- Transportation and warehousing, employment419
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$45,358
- Construction, employment253
- Construction, average annual pay$56,237
- Finance and insurance, employment252
- Other services, except public administration, employment243
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,641 | 135 | $32,609 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 452 | 32 | $34,202 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 419 | 34 | $45,358 |
| Construction | 253 | 37 | $56,237 |
| Finance and insurance | 252 | 38 | $54,852 |
| Other services, except public administration | 243 | 67 | $51,186 |
| Manufacturing | 127 | 12 | $52,781 |
| Information | 60 | 8 | $62,833 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,641 jobs, 14.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Perry County
How many businesses are in Perry County?
- Establishments, all industries556
- Employment at those establishments9,014
- Annual payroll$452.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.2
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.
Perry County
Building permits in Perry 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.
Perry County
SBA loans in Perry County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$75,000
- Average 7(a) approval$75,000
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- Largest single approval$75,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)0
- Jobs per approval0.0
- 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
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Perry County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Perry County
Do SBA loans in Perry 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.
Perry County
How large is Perry County?
- Land area340 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties52nd of 120
- Width, east to west30.2 mi
- Height, north to south30.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land81
- Establishments per square mile1.64
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.
Perry County
Flood risk in Perry County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Perry County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 215191
- 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 Perry 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 Perry County (community 215191), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Perry 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 Perry 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 Perry County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202427,499
- Households11,078
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$42,181
- Median age41.5
Common questions
Perry County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Perry County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 26,739 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 27,499, in 11,078 households, ranking 39th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Perry County's population growing?
The population has fallen 6.08 percent since the 2020 census base of 28,471, to 26,739 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 311 births against 512 deaths, with net migration of -140. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Perry County?
$42,181. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $91,800, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $798 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Perry County?
556 establishments, employing 9,014 people with an annual payroll of $452.5 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 Perry County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,641 jobs, 14.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 11,351 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,907, or $998 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Perry County?
1 7(a) approvals totaling $75,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Perry 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 Perry 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 Perry County come from?
The largest single origin is Knott County, with 77 households. Arriving households report an average income of $35,080 against $48,044 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Perry 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 Perry 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.
Perry County
Cities and places in Perry.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Perry County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard | city | 5,008 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Diablock | CDP | 315 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jeff | CDP | 309 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vicco | city | 217 | None recorded | 92.3 percent here, 7.7 percent Knott County |
| Buckhorn | city | 95 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Combs | CDP | 64 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 1 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Perry County, the largest being Busy (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby