Clearwater County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Clearwater County, Idaho has a population of 9,012 across 2,457 square miles, up 4.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $474.1 m in 2024, 246 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $174,900.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Clearwater County
How many people live in Clearwater County
- Population9,012
- Households3,636
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$60,000
- Median age52.2
- Median gross rent$875 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$268,200
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,169
- Population under 181,341
- Share under 1814.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,614
- Share 65 and over29.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,057
- Civilian labor force3,725
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over48.6 percent
- Rank by population among Idaho counties31st of 44
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2560th
Clearwater County is the 31st largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 29.0 percent against 14.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clearwater County
Is Clearwater County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.82 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,730
- Births, 202465
- Deaths, 2024149
- Natural change, 2024-84
- Net domestic migration, 202439
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 202442
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024684
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents557th
The county has grown 4.82 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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.
Clearwater County
Where people moving to Clearwater County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving275
- People arriving, from those returns527
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$71,745
- Largest single originClearwater County Non-migrants (2,911 households)
- Largest single destination (2,911 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater County Non-migrants | 2,911 | 5,835 | $190.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 139 | 272 | $12.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 139 | 272 | $12.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 95 | 178 | $5.4 m |
| Nez Perce County | 41 | 77 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Clearwater County Non-migrants, 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.
Clearwater County
What the Clearwater County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$474.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$480.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.4 percent
- GDP change over five years27.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Idaho counties35th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2437th
- GDP per resident$52,613
Output grew -1.4 percent in the latest year and 27.5 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.
Clearwater County
Who employs people in Clearwater County
- Covered employment, annual average2,721
- Establishments reporting357
- Average annual pay$50,553
- Average weekly wage$972
- Sector 31-33, employment383
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$52,522
- Sector 44-45, employment243
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,067
- Sector 23, employment169
- Sector 23, average annual pay$53,092
- Sector 52, employment46
- Sector 52, average annual pay$49,239
- Sector 54, employment43
- Sector 81, employment30
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 383 | 22 | $52,522 |
| Sector 44-45 | 243 | 34 | $33,067 |
| Sector 23 | 169 | 47 | $53,092 |
| Sector 52 | 46 | 15 | $49,239 |
| Sector 54 | 43 | 22 | $92,313 |
| Sector 81 | 30 | 17 | $52,337 |
| Sector 48-49 | 29 | 7 | $65,667 |
| Sector 42 | 22 | 11 | $45,321 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 383 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Clearwater County
What businesses operate in Clearwater County
- Establishments, all industries246
- Employment at those establishments1,939
- Annual payroll$95.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clearwater County
What is being built in Clearwater County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202446
- Declared construction value permitted$7.6 m
- Single family units authorised46
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$166,248
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clearwater County
How much SBA lending happens in Clearwater County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$174,900
- Average 7(a) approval$58,300
- Median 7(a) approval$69,900
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$80,000
- Largest single approval$80,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval1.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNew Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (1)
- Most active lenderBanner Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$308,000
- Average 504 approval$308,000
- Median 504 approval$308,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCEastern Idaho Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$482,900
The average approval of $58,300 sits close to the median of $69,900, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Clearwater County
Do SBA loans in Clearwater County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clearwater County
Which parts of Clearwater County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- OROFINO, approvals2
- ELK RIVER, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| OROFINO | 2 | $149,900 |
| ELK RIVER | 1 | $25,000 |
OROFINO accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in ELK RIVER. 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.
Clearwater County
How big is Clearwater County
- Land area2,457 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Idaho counties10th of 44
- Width, east to west88.3 mi
- Height, north to south46.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.10
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Clearwater 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 Clearwater County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population9,012
- Households3,636
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$60,000
- Median age52.2
Common questions
Clearwater County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clearwater County, Idaho?
9,012, in 3,636 households, ranking 31st of 44 Idaho counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clearwater County growing?
The population has grown 4.82 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 65 births against 149 deaths, with net migration of 42. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clearwater County?
$60,000. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $268,200, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $875 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clearwater County?
246 establishments, employing 1,939 people with an annual payroll of $95.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Clearwater County?
Average annual pay is $50,553, or $972 a week, across 2,721 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clearwater County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $174,900 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $69,900, plus 1 504 approvals worth $308,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Clearwater County?
46 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clearwater 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 Clearwater County come from?
The largest single origin is Clearwater County Non-migrants, with 2,911 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,745 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Clearwater 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 Clearwater County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.