McLennan County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
McLennan County, Texas had an estimated 270,358 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 260,582, across 1,037 square miles. County output reached $18.48 bn in 2024, 5,928 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 235 7(a) approvals worth $183.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
McLennan County
How many people live in McLennan County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024266,067
- Households97,338
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$66,643
- Median age34.0
- Median gross rent$1,173 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$243,600
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over164,313
- Population under 1863,736
- Share under 1824.0 percent
- Population 65 and over40,771
- Share 65 and over15.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64161,560
- Civilian labor force131,587
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.0 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties21st of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included272nd of 3,222
McLennan County is the 21st largest of 254 Texas 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 24.0 percent against 15.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McLennan County
Is McLennan County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024270,358
- Census 2020 base population260,582
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.75 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20241,580
- Births, 20243,352
- Deaths, 20242,538
- Natural change, 2024814
- Net domestic migration, 2024-184
- Net international migration, 2024939
- Total net migration, 2024755
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,462
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents738th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.75 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.
McLennan County
Where are people moving to McLennan County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving6,122
- People arriving, from those returns11,339
- Tax returns filed by households leaving5,528
- Net household movement594
- Adjusted gross income arriving$419.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$78.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$68,542
- Average income of a leaving household$61,709
- Largest single originBell County (455 households)
- Largest single destinationBell County (386 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 455 | 881 | $21.8 m |
| Tarrant County | 272 | 490 | $16.8 m |
| Dallas County | 261 | 425 | $15.6 m |
| Travis County | 207 | 329 | $21.2 m |
| Harris County | 191 | 350 | $21.3 m |
| Williamson County | 173 | 340 | $13.1 m |
| Hill County | 145 | 266 | $6.9 m |
| Bosque County | 138 | 255 | $7.9 m |
Households arriving report $6,833 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 Bell 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.
McLennan County
What is the McLennan County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$18.48 bn
- County GDP, 2023$17.44 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.9 percent
- GDP change over five years40.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes20th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes278th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$69,453
Output grew 5.9 percent in the latest year and 40.5 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.
McLennan County
Employment by industry in McLennan County
- Covered employment, annual average122,697
- Establishments reporting6,039
- Average annual pay$60,387
- Average weekly wage$1,161
- Manufacturing, employment15,864
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$78,674
- Health care and social assistance, employment15,374
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$62,152
- Retail trade, employment13,140
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,307
- Accommodation and food services, employment12,776
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,465
- Construction, employment8,489
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment6,389
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 15,864 | 296 | $78,674 |
| Health care and social assistance | 15,374 | 620 | $62,152 |
| Retail trade | 13,140 | 809 | $39,307 |
| Accommodation and food services | 12,776 | 606 | $22,465 |
| Construction | 8,489 | 598 | $65,677 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 6,389 | 398 | $40,488 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,784 | 288 | $73,533 |
| Finance and insurance | 5,251 | 396 | $82,855 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 15,864 jobs, 12.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
McLennan County
How many businesses are in McLennan County?
- Establishments, all industries5,928
- Employment at those establishments111,600
- Annual payroll$5.68 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.3
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.
McLennan County
Building permits in McLennan County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,046
- Declared construction value permitted$272.4 m
- Single family units authorized744
- Multifamily units authorized302
- Multifamily share of units28.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,391
- Units authorized per 1,000 households10.7
Single-family homes are 71.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
McLennan County
SBA loans in McLennan County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded235
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$183.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$779,989
- Median 7(a) approval$309,600
- 10th percentile approval$29,220
- 90th percentile approval$2,295,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,000
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active78
- Distinct industries receiving approvals102
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer23.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms56
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter158
- Franchise loans78
- Franchise share of approvals33.2 percent
- Most active lenderThe First National Bank of McGregor d/b/a TFNB Your Bank for Life (58)
- 504 approvals recorded21
- 504 gross approval dollars$34.2 m
- Average 504 approval$1,628,143
- Median 504 approval$830,000
- Distinct CDCs active11
- 504 jobs per approval17.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.9
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (8)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$217.5 m
The average approval of $779,989 sits well above the median of $309,600, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 23.8 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.
McLennan County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in McLennan County
Do SBA loans in McLennan County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded56
- Paid in full44
- Charged off12
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans21.4 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure138
- Status: Paid in full44
- Status: Cancelled35
- Status: Charged off12
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 56 loans that have reached a final outcome, 21.4 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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.
McLennan County
SBA lending by place in McLennan County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending16
- Waco, approvals132
- Woodway, approvals37
- Lorena, approvals16
- Hewitt, approvals15
- Robinson, approvals7
- Elm Mott, approvals5
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Waco | 132 | $119,548,500 |
| Woodway | 37 | $27,629,100 |
| Lorena | 16 | $3,831,800 |
| Hewitt | 15 | $5,583,200 |
| Robinson | 7 | $9,469,200 |
| Elm Mott | 5 | $4,249,700 |
| China Spring | 5 | $1,404,400 |
| McGregor | 4 | $357,500 |
| 8 other borrower cities | 14 | $11,223,900 |
Waco accounts for 132 approvals against 37 in Woodway. 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.
McLennan County
How large is McLennan County?
- Land area1,037 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties66th of 254
- Width, east to west47.4 mi
- Height, north to south42.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land257
- Establishments per square mile5.72
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.
McLennan County
Flood risk in McLennan County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community McLennan County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480456
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book21
- Of those, participating in the NFIP19
- NFIP participation rate90.5 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in McLennan County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated McLennan County (community 480456), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places McLennan County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 90.5 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 McLennan 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 McLennan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024266,067
- Households97,338
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$66,643
- Median age34.0
Common questions
McLennan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McLennan County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 270,358 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 266,067, in 97,338 households, ranking 21st of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McLennan County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.75 percent since the 2020 census base of 260,582, to 270,358 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,352 births against 2,538 deaths, with net migration of 755. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McLennan County?
$66,643. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $243,600, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,173 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in McLennan County?
5,928 establishments, employing 111,600 people with an annual payroll of $5.68 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 McLennan County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 15,864 jobs, 12.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 122,697 jobs at an average annual pay of $60,387, or $1,161 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McLennan County?
235 7(a) approvals totaling $183.3 m since FY2020, across 78 lenders, with a median approval of $309,600, plus 21 504 approvals worth $34.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in McLennan County get paid back?
Of the 56 loans that have reached a final outcome, 44 were paid in full and 12 charged off, a charge-off rate of 21.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in McLennan County?
1,046 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $272.4 m. Multifamily was 28.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McLennan County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to McLennan County come from?
The largest single origin is Bell County, with 455 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,542 against $61,709 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for McLennan 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 McLennan 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.
McLennan County
Cities and places in McLennan.
23 Census places lie wholly or partly in McLennan County. All 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waco | city | 143,570 | 132 | Wholly in this county |
| Hewitt | city | 16,432 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Robinson | city | 12,800 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Bellmead | city | 10,566 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodway | city | 9,570 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| Lacy-Lakeview | city | 7,274 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McGregor | city | 5,761 | 4 | 84.1 percent here, 15.9 percent Coryell County |
| West | city | 2,576 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Willow Grove | CDP | 2,080 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mart | city | 1,704 | 1 | 95.8 percent here, 4.2 percent Limestone County |
| Beverly Hills | city | 1,590 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bruceville-Eddy | city | 1,584 | None recorded | 89.5 percent here, 10.5 percent Falls County |
| Lorena | city | 1,497 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Riesel | city | 1,453 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Moody | city | 1,390 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Valley Mills | city | 1,136 | 1 | 39.9 percent here, 60.1 percent Bosque County |
| China Spring | CDP | 1,126 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Gholson | city | 1,112 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crawford | town | 1,020 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Golinda | city | 836 | None recorded | 19.1 percent here, 80.9 percent Falls County |
| Leroy | city | 458 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hallsburg | city | 400 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ross | city | 202 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 7 of the county's 235 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in McLennan County, the largest being Elm Mott (5), Axtell (1), North Woodway (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