Fentress County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Fentress County, Tennessee had an estimated 20,129 residents on July 1, 2024, up 8.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 18,487, across 499 square miles. County output reached $769.0 m in 2024, 286 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $2.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Fentress County
How many people live in Fentress County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,309
- Households7,831
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$51,149
- Median age46.9
- Median gross rent$709 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,200
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,977
- Population under 183,935
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,498
- Share 65 and over23.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,876
- Civilian labor force7,413
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over48.2 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties68th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1923rd of 3,222
Fentress County is the 68th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.3 percent against 20.4 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.
Fentress County
Is Fentress County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202420,129
- Census 2020 base population18,487
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.88 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024421
- Births, 2024188
- Deaths, 2024313
- Natural change, 2024-125
- Net domestic migration, 2024548
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024546
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,163
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents191st of 3,144
The county has grown 8.88 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.
Fentress County
Where are people moving to Fentress County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving629
- People arriving, from those returns1,221
- Tax returns filed by households leaving338
- Net household movement291
- Adjusted gross income arriving$44.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$31.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$71,324
- Average income of a leaving household$39,500
- Largest single originCumberland County (53 households)
- Largest single destinationCumberland County (56 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 53 | 97 | $1.9 m |
| Putnam County | 39 | 71 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $31,824 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 Cumberland 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.
Fentress County
What is the Fentress County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$769.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$681.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202412.8 percent
- GDP change over five years51.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes67th of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2056th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$39,826
Output grew 12.8 percent in the latest year and 51.4 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.
Fentress County
Employment by industry in Fentress County
- Covered employment, annual average5,768
- Establishments reporting409
- Average annual pay$41,622
- Average weekly wage$800
- Retail trade, employment716
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,208
- Manufacturing, employment276
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$43,959
- Wholesale trade, employment215
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$44,229
- Finance and insurance, employment177
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$65,652
- Construction, employment119
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment84
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 716 | 56 | $31,208 |
| Manufacturing | 276 | 24 | $43,959 |
| Wholesale trade | 215 | 14 | $44,229 |
| Finance and insurance | 177 | 30 | $65,652 |
| Construction | 119 | 38 | $41,298 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 84 | 43 | $59,756 |
| Other services, except public administration | 70 | 24 | $36,515 |
| Information | 62 | 15 | $105,539 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 716 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Fentress County
How many businesses are in Fentress County?
- Establishments, all industries286
- Employment at those establishments3,045
- Annual payroll$111.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.8
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.
Fentress County
Building permits in Fentress County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$2.1 m
- Single family units authorized7
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$302,641
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.9
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.
Fentress County
SBA loans in Fentress County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$691,250
- Median 7(a) approval$375,000
- Largest single approval$1,990,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)162
- Jobs per approval40.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- 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 shorter4
- 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.
Fentress County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Fentress County
Do SBA loans in Fentress County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Cancelled1
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.
Fentress County
SBA lending by place in Fentress County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Jamestown, approvals2
- Allardt, approvals1
- Crossville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Jamestown | 2 | $725,000 |
| Allardt | 1 | $1,990,000 |
| Crossville | 1 | $50,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fentress County
How large is Fentress County?
- Land area499 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties38th of 95
- Width, east to west25.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land39
- Establishments per square mile0.57
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.
Fentress County
Flood risk in Fentress County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Fentress County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470343
- 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 Fentress 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 Fentress County (community 470343), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Fentress 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 Fentress 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 Fentress County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,309
- Households7,831
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$51,149
- Median age46.9
Common questions
Fentress County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fentress County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 20,129 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 19,309, in 7,831 households, ranking 68th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fentress County's population growing?
The population has grown 8.88 percent since the 2020 census base of 18,487, to 20,129 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 188 births against 313 deaths, with net migration of 546. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fentress County?
$51,149. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,200, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $709 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Fentress County?
286 establishments, employing 3,045 people with an annual payroll of $111.9 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 Fentress County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 716 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,768 jobs at an average annual pay of $41,622, or $800 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fentress County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $2.8 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $375,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Fentress County?
7 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fentress 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 Fentress County come from?
The largest single origin is Cumberland County, with 53 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,324 against $39,500 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Fentress 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 Fentress 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.
Fentress County
Cities and places in Fentress.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Fentress 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown | city | 2,230 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Grimsley | CDP | 1,171 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Allardt | city | 1,076 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Clarkrange | CDP | 554 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 4 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Fentress County, the largest being Crossville (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