Houston County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Houston County, Tennessee had an estimated 8,538 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,284, across 200 square miles. County output reached $213.6 m in 2024, 106 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $548,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Houston County
How many people live in Houston County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,353
- Households3,353
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$59,576
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$735 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$172,700
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,000
- Population under 181,735
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,681
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,937
- Civilian labor force3,664
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.4 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties89th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2624th of 3,222
Houston County is the 89th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.8 percent against 20.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Houston County
Is Houston County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,538
- Census 2020 base population8,284
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.07 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024140
- Births, 202474
- Deaths, 2024106
- Natural change, 2024-32
- Net domestic migration, 2024173
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024173
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024452
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents853rd of 3,144
The county has grown 3.07 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.
Houston County
Where are people moving to Houston County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving270
- People arriving, from those returns540
- Tax returns filed by households leaving189
- Net household movement81
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$7.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$57,678
- Average income of a leaving household$42,873
- Largest single originMontgomery County (57 households)
- Largest single destinationMontgomery County (39 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 57 | 129 | $3.5 m |
| Dickson County | 26 | 55 | $1.4 m |
| Humphreys County | 26 | 51 | $993,000 |
| Stewart County | 26 | 57 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $14,805 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 Montgomery 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.
Houston County
What is the Houston County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$213.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$204.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years31.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes91st of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2883rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$25,571
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 31.0 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.
Houston County
Employment by industry in Houston County
- Covered employment, annual average1,443
- Establishments reporting148
- Average annual pay$43,652
- Average weekly wage$839
- Retail trade, employment168
- Retail trade, average annual pay$27,294
- Manufacturing, employment161
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,362
- Other services, except public administration, employment21
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$37,668
- Information, employment16
- Information, average annual pay$67,115
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 168 | 23 | $27,294 |
| Manufacturing | 161 | 6 | $52,362 |
| Other services, except public administration | 21 | 6 | $37,668 |
| Information | 16 | 4 | $67,115 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 168 jobs, 11.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Houston County
How many businesses are in Houston County?
- Establishments, all industries106
- Employment at those establishments1,040
- Annual payroll$41.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.7
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.
Houston County
Building permits in Houston County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$45,000
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$45,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.3
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.
Houston County
SBA loans in Houston County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$548,000
- Average 7(a) approval$137,000
- Median 7(a) approval$87,000
- Largest single approval$350,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)51
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- 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 loans2
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Houston County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Houston County
Do SBA loans in Houston County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Houston County
How large is Houston County?
- Land area200 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties88th of 95
- Width, east to west26 mi
- Height, north to south13.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land42
- Establishments per square mile0.53
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.
Houston County
Flood risk in Houston County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Houston County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470347
- 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 Houston 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 Houston County (community 470347), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Houston 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 Houston 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 Houston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,353
- Households3,353
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$59,576
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Houston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Houston County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,538 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,353, in 3,353 households, ranking 89th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Houston County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.07 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,284, to 8,538 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 74 births against 106 deaths, with net migration of 173. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Houston County?
$59,576. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $172,700, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $735 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Houston County?
106 establishments, employing 1,040 people with an annual payroll of $41.9 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 Houston County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 168 jobs, 11.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,443 jobs at an average annual pay of $43,652, or $839 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Houston County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $548,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $87,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Houston County?
1 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $45,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Houston 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 Houston County come from?
The largest single origin is Montgomery County, with 57 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,678 against $42,873 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Houston 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 Houston 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.
Houston County
Cities and places in Houston.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Houston County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Ridge | town | 1,726 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Erin | city | 1,058 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
Nearby