Smith County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Smith County, Tennessee had an estimated 20,783 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,908, across 314 square miles. County output reached $842.9 m in 2024, 307 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $120,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Smith County
How many people live in Smith County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,389
- Households7,932
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$66,293
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$922 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$243,800
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,351
- Population under 184,566
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,399
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,424
- Civilian labor force10,067
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.6 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties67th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1858th of 3,222
Smith County is the 67th largest of 95 Tennessee 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 22.4 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.
Smith County
Is Smith County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202420,783
- Census 2020 base population19,908
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.40 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024238
- Births, 2024216
- Deaths, 2024282
- Natural change, 2024-66
- Net domestic migration, 2024280
- Net international migration, 202427
- Total net migration, 2024307
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024990
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents627th of 3,144
The county has grown 4.40 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.
Smith County
Where are people moving to Smith County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving616
- People arriving, from those returns1,150
- Tax returns filed by households leaving517
- Net household movement99
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$1.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$55,567
- Average income of a leaving household$63,764
- Largest single originWilson County (172 households)
- Largest single destinationWilson County (120 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County | 172 | 335 | $9.1 m |
| Davidson County | 66 | 101 | $3.8 m |
| Sumner County | 37 | 59 | $2.6 m |
| Putnam County | 36 | 63 | $1.1 m |
| Rutherford County | 31 | 58 | $1.5 m |
| Macon County | 26 | 60 | $1.1 m |
| Trousdale County | 24 | 59 | $796,000 |
| DeKalb County | 22 | 39 | $867,000 |
Households arriving report $8,197 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Wilson 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.
Smith County
What is the Smith County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$842.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$893.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-5.6 percent
- GDP change over five years14.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes62nd of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1994th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$41,339
Output grew -5.6 percent in the latest year and 14.4 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.
Smith County
Employment by industry in Smith County
- Covered employment, annual average5,040
- Establishments reporting418
- Average annual pay$53,195
- Average weekly wage$1,023
- Manufacturing, employment1,205
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$69,629
- Retail trade, employment660
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,885
- Construction, employment282
- Construction, average annual pay$61,790
- Transportation and warehousing, employment115
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$70,811
- Finance and insurance, employment110
- Other services, except public administration, employment68
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,205 | 17 | $69,629 |
| Retail trade | 660 | 53 | $32,885 |
| Construction | 282 | 52 | $61,790 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 115 | 12 | $70,811 |
| Finance and insurance | 110 | 16 | $108,631 |
| Other services, except public administration | 68 | 19 | $52,182 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 53 | 4 | $101,826 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 33 | 5 | $51,837 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,205 jobs, 23.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Smith County
How many businesses are in Smith County?
- Establishments, all industries307
- Employment at those establishments4,921
- Annual payroll$248.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.1
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.
Smith County
Building permits in Smith County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024159
- Declared construction value permitted$41.4 m
- Single family units authorized131
- Multifamily units authorized28
- Multifamily share of units17.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,651
- Units authorized per 1,000 households20.0
Single-family homes are 82.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Smith County
SBA loans in Smith County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$120,000
- Average 7(a) approval$40,000
- Median 7(a) approval$10,000
- Largest single approval$100,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3
- Jobs per approval1.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term84 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 shorter3
- 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.
Smith County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Smith County
Do SBA loans in Smith County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Smith County
SBA lending by place in Smith County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Carthage, approvals2
- Brush Creek, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Carthage | 2 | $20,000 |
| Brush Creek | 1 | $100,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Smith County
How large is Smith County?
- Land area314 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties70th of 95
- Width, east to west19.9 mi
- Height, north to south23.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land65
- Establishments per square mile0.98
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.
Smith County
Flood risk in Smith County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Smith County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470283
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 10
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Smith County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Smith County (community 470283), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Smith 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 10, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Smith 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 Smith County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,389
- Households7,932
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$66,293
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Smith County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Smith County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 20,783 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 20,389, in 7,932 households, ranking 67th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Smith County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.40 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,908, to 20,783 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 216 births against 282 deaths, with net migration of 307. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Smith County?
$66,293. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $243,800, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $922 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Smith County?
307 establishments, employing 4,921 people with an annual payroll of $248.7 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 Smith County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,205 jobs, 23.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,040 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,195, or $1,023 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Smith County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $120,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $10,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Smith County?
159 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $41.4 m. Multifamily was 17.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Smith 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 Smith County come from?
The largest single origin is Wilson County, with 172 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,567 against $63,764 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Smith 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 Smith 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.
Smith County
Cities and places in Smith.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carthage | town | 2,364 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Carthage | town | 2,327 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Gordonsville | town | 1,299 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hickman | CDP | 276 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 3 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Smith County, the largest being Brush Creek (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