Wilson County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Wilson County, Tennessee had an estimated 169,948 residents on July 1, 2024, up 15.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 147,739, across 571 square miles. County output reached $10.17 bn in 2024, 3,345 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 116 7(a) approvals worth $80.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Wilson County
How many people live in Wilson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024158,805
- Households59,139
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$95,839
- Median age39.8
- Median gross rent$1,486 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$428,000
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over109,746
- Population under 1837,178
- Share under 1823.4 percent
- Population 65 and over25,250
- Share 65 and over15.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6496,377
- Civilian labor force83,702
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.8 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties10th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included437th of 3,222
Wilson County is the 10th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.4 percent against 15.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wilson County
Is Wilson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024169,948
- Census 2020 base population147,739
- Population change since the 2020 census base15.03 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20245,596
- Births, 20241,893
- Deaths, 20241,490
- Natural change, 2024403
- Net domestic migration, 20244,566
- Net international migration, 2024637
- Total net migration, 20245,203
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202418,037
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents59th of 3,144
The county has grown 15.03 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.
Wilson County
Where are people moving to Wilson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,058
- People arriving, from those returns13,626
- Tax returns filed by households leaving4,875
- Net household movement2,183
- Adjusted gross income arriving$697.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$348.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$98,853
- Average income of a leaving household$71,611
- Largest single originDavidson County (2,048 households)
- Largest single destinationDavidson County (983 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 2,048 | 3,794 | $159.1 m |
| Rutherford County | 518 | 974 | $31.4 m |
| Sumner County | 298 | 529 | $17.8 m |
| Williamson County | 205 | 443 | $29.9 m |
| Smith County | 120 | 252 | $6.6 m |
| Los Angeles County | 83 | 173 | $9.7 m |
| Shelby County | 83 | 150 | $5.7 m |
| Montgomery County | 79 | 133 | $3.6 m |
Households arriving report $27,242 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 Davidson 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.
Wilson County
What is the Wilson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$10.17 bn
- County GDP, 2023$9.38 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.5 percent
- GDP change over five years66.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes9th of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes433rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$64,065
Output grew 8.5 percent in the latest year and 66.6 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.
Wilson County
Employment by industry in Wilson County
- Covered employment, annual average65,504
- Establishments reporting4,714
- Average annual pay$57,691
- Average weekly wage$1,109
- Transportation and warehousing, employment16,164
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$57,275
- Retail trade, employment7,397
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,907
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,699
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$24,609
- Health care and social assistance, employment5,022
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$60,957
- Manufacturing, employment4,858
- Construction, employment3,732
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 16,164 | 230 | $57,275 |
| Retail trade | 7,397 | 523 | $41,907 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,699 | 324 | $24,609 |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,022 | 455 | $60,957 |
| Manufacturing | 4,858 | 212 | $72,036 |
| Construction | 3,732 | 473 | $79,059 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 2,761 | 708 | $74,851 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,715 | 308 | $51,667 |
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 16,164 jobs, 24.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Wilson County
How many businesses are in Wilson County?
- Establishments, all industries3,345
- Employment at those establishments57,080
- Annual payroll$2.92 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
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.
Wilson County
Building permits in Wilson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,927
- Declared construction value permitted$557.2 m
- Single family units authorized1,905
- Multifamily units authorized22
- Multifamily share of units1.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$289,141
- Units authorized per 1,000 households32.6
Single-family homes are 98.9 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wilson County
SBA loans in Wilson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded116
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$80.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$689,947
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$39,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,709,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,552
- Jobs per approval13.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active39
- Distinct industries receiving approvals64
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms13
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter92
- Franchise loans27
- Franchise share of approvals23.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFitness and Recreational Sports Centers (8)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$11.2 m
- Average 504 approval$1,399,875
- Median 504 approval$936,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval14.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.0
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$91.2 m
The average approval of $689,947 sits well above the median of $250,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 11.2 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.
Wilson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Wilson County
Do SBA loans in Wilson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full17
- Charged off3
- Status: Paid in full17
- Status: Exempt from disclosure76
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed9
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.
Wilson County
SBA lending by place in Wilson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Mount Juliet, approvals69
- Lebanon, approvals43
- Old Hickory, approvals3
- Watertown, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Juliet | 69 | $44,856,600 |
| Lebanon | 43 | $33,355,200 |
| Old Hickory | 3 | $1,772,000 |
| Watertown | 1 | $50,000 |
Mount Juliet accounts for 69 approvals against 43 in Lebanon. 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.
Wilson County
How large is Wilson County?
- Land area571 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties19th of 95
- Width, east to west32.4 mi
- Height, north to south27.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land278
- Establishments per square mile5.86
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.
Wilson County
Flood risk in Wilson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Wilson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 470207
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 8
- 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 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
- Radon levels in Wilson 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 Wilson County (community 470207), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 8, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Wilson 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 8, 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 Wilson 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 Wilson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024158,805
- Households59,139
- Average household size2.69
- Median household income$95,839
- Median age39.8
Common questions
Wilson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wilson County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 169,948 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 158,805, in 59,139 households, ranking 10th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wilson County's population growing?
The population has grown 15.03 percent since the 2020 census base of 147,739, to 169,948 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,893 births against 1,490 deaths, with net migration of 5,203. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wilson County?
$95,839. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $428,000, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,486 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Wilson County?
3,345 establishments, employing 57,080 people with an annual payroll of $2.92 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 Wilson County?
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 16,164 jobs, 24.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 65,504 jobs at an average annual pay of $57,691, or $1,109 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wilson County?
116 7(a) approvals totaling $80.0 m since FY2020, across 39 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $11.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Wilson County?
1,927 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $557.2 m. Multifamily was 1.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wilson 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 Wilson County come from?
The largest single origin is Davidson County, with 2,048 households. Arriving households report an average income of $98,853 against $71,611 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Wilson 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 Wilson 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.
Wilson County
Cities and places in Wilson.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Wilson County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | city | 44,788 | 43 | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Juliet | city | 42,073 | 69 | Wholly in this county |
| Green Hill | CDP | 6,866 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gladeville | CDP | 2,199 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rural Hill | CDP | 2,075 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Watertown | city | 1,463 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Tuckers Crossroads | CDP | 426 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Statesville | CDP | 201 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Greenvale | CDP | 161 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Norene | CDP | 137 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 116 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Wilson County, the largest being Old Hickory (3). 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.