Shelby County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Shelby County, Kentucky had an estimated 50,124 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 48,108, across 380 square miles. County output reached $2.41 bn in 2024, 1,129 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 67 7(a) approvals worth $34.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Shelby County
How many people live in Shelby County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202449,096
- Households18,484
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$82,604
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$1,033 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$304,800
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over34,252
- Population under 1810,890
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over8,184
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6430,022
- Civilian labor force24,787
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.9 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties20th of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1024th of 3,222
Shelby County is the 20th largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 16.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Shelby County
Is Shelby County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202450,124
- Census 2020 base population48,108
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.19 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024507
- Births, 2024561
- Deaths, 2024505
- Natural change, 202456
- Net domestic migration, 2024219
- Net international migration, 2024229
- Total net migration, 2024448
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,100
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents657th of 3,144
The county has grown 4.19 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Shelby County
Where are people moving to Shelby County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,575
- People arriving, from those returns2,942
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,336
- Net household movement239
- Adjusted gross income arriving$116.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$23.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$73,675
- Average income of a leaving household$69,088
- Largest single originJefferson County (567 households)
- Largest single destinationJefferson County (429 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 567 | 1,094 | $50.0 m |
| Henry County | 99 | 198 | $4.4 m |
| Franklin County | 81 | 151 | $3.4 m |
| Spencer County | 76 | 138 | $5.1 m |
| Oldham County | 64 | 134 | $8.2 m |
| Fayette County | 57 | 84 | $3.4 m |
| Bullitt County | 46 | 97 | $3.2 m |
| Anderson County | 21 | 43 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $4,587 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 Jefferson 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.
Shelby County
What is the Shelby County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.41 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.25 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.2 percent
- GDP change over five years41.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes24th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1125th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$49,048
Output grew 7.2 percent in the latest year and 41.5 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.
Shelby County
Employment by industry in Shelby County
- Covered employment, annual average16,556
- Establishments reporting1,594
- Average annual pay$55,073
- Average weekly wage$1,059
- Manufacturing, employment3,531
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$66,862
- Retail trade, employment2,482
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,108
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,488
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,410
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,358
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$59,343
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,119
- Construction, employment817
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,531 | 78 | $66,862 |
| Retail trade | 2,482 | 190 | $34,108 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,488 | 81 | $22,410 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,358 | 147 | $59,343 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,119 | 111 | $50,659 |
| Construction | 817 | 157 | $63,980 |
| Wholesale trade | 708 | 95 | $87,552 |
| Other services, except public administration | 660 | 110 | $48,562 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 3,531 jobs, 21.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Shelby County
How many businesses are in Shelby County?
- Establishments, all industries1,129
- Employment at those establishments17,446
- Annual payroll$823.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.0
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.
Shelby County
Building permits in Shelby County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024237
- Declared construction value permitted$85.1 m
- Single family units authorized237
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$359,070
- Units authorized per 1,000 households12.8
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.
Shelby County
SBA loans in Shelby County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded67
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$34.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$520,564
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$22,580
- 90th percentile approval$1,560,000
- Largest single approval$3,167,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,033
- Jobs per approval15.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active21
- Distinct industries receiving approvals45
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter55
- Franchise loans9
- Franchise share of approvals13.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (6)
- Most active lenderStock Yards Bank & Trust Company (17)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$17.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,326,923
- Median 504 approval$953,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval31.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.0
- Most active CDCCapital Access Corporation - Kentucky (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$52.1 m
The average approval of $520,564 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 13.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Shelby County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Shelby County
Do SBA loans in Shelby County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full8
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure47
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
- Status: Charged off1
Only 9 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.
Shelby County
SBA lending by place in Shelby County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Shelbyville, approvals34
- Simpsonville, approvals16
- Bagdad, approvals6
- Waddy, approvals5
- Louisville, approvals4
- Finchville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville | 34 | $18,742,000 |
| Simpsonville | 16 | $7,893,100 |
| Bagdad | 6 | $1,671,400 |
| Waddy | 5 | $328,500 |
| Louisville | 4 | $4,758,800 |
| Finchville | 1 | $1,434,000 |
| Taylorsville | 1 | $50,000 |
Shelbyville accounts for 34 approvals against 16 in Simpsonville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Shelby County
How large is Shelby County?
- Land area380 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties39th of 120
- Width, east to west25.6 mi
- Height, north to south22.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land129
- Establishments per square mile2.97
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.
Shelby County
Flood risk in Shelby County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Shelby County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210209
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Shelby 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 Shelby County (community 210209), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202449,096
- Households18,484
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$82,604
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Shelby County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Shelby County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 50,124 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 49,096, in 18,484 households, ranking 20th of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Shelby County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.19 percent since the 2020 census base of 48,108, to 50,124 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 561 births against 505 deaths, with net migration of 448. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Shelby County?
$82,604. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $304,800, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,033 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Shelby County?
1,129 establishments, employing 17,446 people with an annual payroll of $823.8 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 Shelby County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 3,531 jobs, 21.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 16,556 jobs at an average annual pay of $55,073, or $1,059 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Shelby County?
67 7(a) approvals totaling $34.9 m since FY2020, across 21 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $17.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Shelby County?
237 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $85.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Shelby 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 Shelby County come from?
The largest single origin is Jefferson County, with 567 households. Arriving households report an average income of $73,675 against $69,088 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Shelby 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 Shelby 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.
Shelby County
Cities and places in Shelby.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville | city | 17,668 | 34 | Wholly in this county |
| Simpsonville | city | 3,062 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Pleasureville | city | 1,123 | None recorded | 16.5 percent here, 83.5 percent Henry County |
A further 17 of the county's 67 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Shelby County, the largest being Bagdad (6), Waddy (5), Louisville (4). 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.
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