HomePennsylvaniaAdams County
Adams County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Adams County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 107,914 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 103,840, across 519 square miles. County output reached $4.73 bn in 2024, 1,967 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 91 7(a) approvals worth $36.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Adams County
How many people live in Adams County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024106,115
- Households40,841
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$84,092
- Median age43.7
- Median gross rent$1,115 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$268,500
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over74,849
- Population under 1820,638
- Share under 1819.4 percent
- Population 65 and over23,130
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6462,347
- Civilian labor force56,028
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.5 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties31st of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included590th of 3,222
Adams County is the 31st largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.8 percent against 19.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Adams County
Is Adams County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024107,914
- Census 2020 base population103,840
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.92 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024767
- Births, 2024932
- Deaths, 20241,148
- Natural change, 2024-216
- Net domestic migration, 2024544
- Net international migration, 2024433
- Total net migration, 2024977
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,310
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents704th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.92 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.
Adams County
Where are people moving to Adams County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,825
- People arriving, from those returns4,869
- Tax returns filed by households leaving2,408
- Net household movement417
- Adjusted gross income arriving$200.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$68.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$71,105
- Average income of a leaving household$54,965
- Largest single originYork County (867 households)
- Largest single destinationYork County (824 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| York County | 867 | 1,512 | $47.7 m |
| Carroll County | 213 | 352 | $17.9 m |
| Frederick County | 158 | 289 | $19.4 m |
| Cumberland County | 151 | 263 | $9.8 m |
| Franklin County | 149 | 254 | $8.4 m |
| Baltimore County | 75 | 132 | $4.5 m |
| Montgomery County | 55 | 85 | $6.7 m |
| Washington County | 45 | 59 | $2.3 m |
Households arriving report $16,140 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 York 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.
Adams County
What is the Adams County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$4.73 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.58 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.3 percent
- GDP change over five years20.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes33rd of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes740th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$44,565
Output grew 3.3 percent in the latest year and 20.8 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.
Adams County
Employment by industry in Adams County
- Covered employment, annual average33,195
- Establishments reporting2,237
- Average annual pay$54,542
- Average weekly wage$1,049
- Manufacturing, employment6,832
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$64,562
- Health care and social assistance, employment4,373
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$64,748
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,854
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,685
- Retail trade, employment3,556
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,865
- Construction, employment1,501
- Transportation and warehousing, employment1,141
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,832 | 128 | $64,562 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,373 | 221 | $64,748 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,854 | 209 | $22,685 |
| Retail trade | 3,556 | 305 | $35,865 |
| Construction | 1,501 | 224 | $73,755 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,141 | 76 | $52,447 |
| Educational services | 1,092 | 28 | $55,980 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,080 | 213 | $34,243 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,832 jobs, 20.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Adams County
How many businesses are in Adams County?
- Establishments, all industries1,967
- Employment at those establishments27,990
- Annual payroll$1.27 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.5
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.
Adams County
Building permits in Adams County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024403
- Declared construction value permitted$135.4 m
- Single family units authorized403
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$336,086
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.9
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.
Adams County
SBA loans in Adams County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded91
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$36.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$403,500
- Median 7(a) approval$63,000
- 10th percentile approval$17,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,250,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)555
- Jobs per approval6.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals59
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter75
- Franchise loans11
- Franchise share of approvals12.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (7)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (54)
- 504 approvals recorded12
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.4 m
- Average 504 approval$696,000
- Median 504 approval$485,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval7.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.7
- Most active CDCEDC Finance Corporation (7)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$45.1 m
The average approval of $403,500 sits well above the median of $63,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 12.1 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.
Adams County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Adams County
Do SBA loans in Adams County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full19
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure58
- Status: Paid in full19
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Charged off1
Only 20 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.
Adams County
SBA lending by place in Adams County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending12
- Gettysburg, approvals34
- Hanover, approvals15
- Littlestown, approvals8
- Biglerville, approvals7
- East Berlin, approvals6
- York Springs, approvals5
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg | 34 | $20,574,800 |
| Hanover | 15 | $2,792,400 |
| Littlestown | 8 | $558,000 |
| Biglerville | 7 | $4,241,000 |
| East Berlin | 6 | $368,500 |
| York Springs | 5 | $4,135,000 |
| New Oxford | 4 | $3,177,300 |
| Aspers | 4 | $326,500 |
| 4 other borrower cities | 8 | $545,000 |
Gettysburg accounts for 34 approvals against 15 in Hanover. 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.
Adams County
How large is Adams County?
- Land area519 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties45th of 67
- Width, east to west27.4 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land204
- Establishments per square mile3.79
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.
Adams County
Flood risk in Adams County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book34
- Of those, participating in the NFIP33
- NFIP participation rate97.1 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Adams County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Adams County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 97.1 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 Adams 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 Adams County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024106,115
- Households40,841
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$84,092
- Median age43.7
Common questions
Adams County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Adams County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 107,914 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 106,115, in 40,841 households, ranking 31st of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Adams County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.92 percent since the 2020 census base of 103,840, to 107,914 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 932 births against 1,148 deaths, with net migration of 977. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Adams County?
$84,092. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $268,500, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,115 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Adams County?
1,967 establishments, employing 27,990 people with an annual payroll of $1.27 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Adams County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,832 jobs, 20.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 33,195 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,542, or $1,049 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Adams County?
91 7(a) approvals totaling $36.7 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $63,000, plus 12 504 approvals worth $8.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Adams County?
403 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $135.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Adams County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Adams County come from?
The largest single origin is York County, with 867 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,105 against $54,965 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Adams 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 Adams 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.
Adams County
Cities and places in Adams.
26 Census places lie wholly or partly in Adams County. All 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg | borough | 8,254 | 34 | Wholly in this county |
| Littlestown | borough | 4,850 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Carroll Valley | borough | 3,992 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McSherrystown | borough | 3,114 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Heritage | CDP | 2,997 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bonneauville | borough | 2,232 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Meade | CDP | 2,176 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Oxford | borough | 1,675 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| East Berlin | borough | 1,523 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Hampton | CDP | 1,404 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Biglerville | borough | 1,070 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Abbottstown | borough | 940 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| York Springs | borough | 865 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Midway | CDP | 860 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Arendtsville | borough | 841 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McKnightstown | CDP | 695 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bendersville | borough | 631 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fairfield | borough | 569 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Heidlersburg | CDP | 457 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Aspers | CDP | 405 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Cashtown | CDP | 346 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orrtanna | CDP | 143 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hunterstown | CDP | 137 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Idaville | CDP | 105 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Table Rock | CDP | 98 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gardners | CDP | 76 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 16 of the county's 91 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Adams County, the largest being Hanover (15), Mechanicsburg (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.