Rockcastle County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Rockcastle County, Kentucky had an estimated 16,226 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,039, across 317 square miles. County output reached $431.6 m in 2024, 209 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $36,300 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Rockcastle County
How many people live in Rockcastle County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,163
- Households6,534
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$48,862
- Median age42.8
- Median gross rent$676 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$123,600
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,507
- Population under 183,480
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over3,116
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,567
- Civilian labor force6,385
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties69th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2091st of 3,222
Rockcastle County is the 69th 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 21.5 percent against 19.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rockcastle County
Is Rockcastle County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202416,226
- Census 2020 base population16,039
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.17 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202455
- Births, 2024164
- Deaths, 2024279
- Natural change, 2024-115
- Net domestic migration, 2024172
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024172
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024650
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1426th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.17 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.
Rockcastle County
Where are people moving to Rockcastle County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving383
- People arriving, from those returns813
- Tax returns filed by households leaving309
- Net household movement74
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$39,869
- Average income of a leaving household$35,495
- Largest single originMadison County (121 households)
- Largest single destinationMadison County (98 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 121 | 269 | $6.2 m |
| Pulaski County | 30 | 59 | $990,000 |
| Lincoln County | 29 | 81 | $898,000 |
| Laurel County | 26 | 60 | $907,000 |
Households arriving report $4,374 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 Madison 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.
Rockcastle County
What is the Rockcastle County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$431.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$428.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years21.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes85th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2495th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$26,702
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 21.4 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.
Rockcastle County
Employment by industry in Rockcastle County
- Covered employment, annual average4,008
- Establishments reporting278
- Average annual pay$41,657
- Average weekly wage$801
- Retail trade, employment292
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,189
- Manufacturing, employment214
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$50,240
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment162
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$44,249
- Finance and insurance, employment82
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$42,805
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment48
- Wholesale trade, employment19
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 292 | 49 | $26,189 |
| Manufacturing | 214 | 14 | $50,240 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 162 | 29 | $44,249 |
| Finance and insurance | 82 | 17 | $42,805 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 48 | 13 | $29,977 |
| Wholesale trade | 19 | 7 | $39,946 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 18 | 6 | $42,634 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 292 jobs, 7.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rockcastle County
How many businesses are in Rockcastle County?
- Establishments, all industries209
- Employment at those establishments3,060
- Annual payroll$123.4 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.
Rockcastle County
SBA loans in Rockcastle County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$36,300
- Average 7(a) approval$18,150
- Median 7(a) approval$18,150
- Largest single approval$26,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)0
- Jobs per approval0.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term30 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 shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,861,500
- Median 504 approval$1,861,500
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval112.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved60.2
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$3.8 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.
Rockcastle County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Rockcastle County
Do SBA loans in Rockcastle County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- 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.
Rockcastle County
SBA lending by place in Rockcastle County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Livingston, approvals1
- Mount Vernon, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston | 1 | $26,300 |
| Mount Vernon | 1 | $10,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rockcastle County
How large is Rockcastle County?
- Land area317 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties57th of 120
- Width, east to west20.1 mi
- Height, north to south26.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land51
- Establishments per square mile0.66
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.
Rockcastle County
Flood risk in Rockcastle County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Rockcastle County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210331
- 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 Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County (community 210331), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,163
- Households6,534
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$48,862
- Median age42.8
Common questions
Rockcastle County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rockcastle County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 16,226 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,163, in 6,534 households, ranking 69th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rockcastle County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.17 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,039, to 16,226 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 164 births against 279 deaths, with net migration of 172. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rockcastle County?
$48,862. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,600, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $676 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Rockcastle County?
209 establishments, employing 3,060 people with an annual payroll of $123.4 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 Rockcastle County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 292 jobs, 7.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,008 jobs at an average annual pay of $41,657, or $801 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rockcastle County?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $36,300 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $18,150, plus 2 504 approvals worth $3.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is the radon zone for Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle County come from?
The largest single origin is Madison County, with 121 households. Arriving households report an average income of $39,869 against $35,495 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Rockcastle 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 Rockcastle 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.
Rockcastle County
Cities and places in Rockcastle.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Rockcastle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | city | 2,398 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Brodhead | city | 1,423 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Livingston | city | 187 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
Nearby