St. Joseph County, Indiana: commercial real estate data.
St. Joseph County, Indiana has a population of 273,040 across 458 square miles, up 0.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $19.49 bn in 2024, 5,959 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 297 7(a) approvals worth $145.7 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
St. Joseph County
How many people live in St. Joseph County
- Population273,040
- Households107,252
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$66,868
- Median age36.7
- Median gross rent$1,062 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$192,800
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over178,751
- Population under 1863,303
- Share under 1823.2 percent
- Population 65 and over46,023
- Share 65 and over16.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64163,714
- Civilian labor force137,389
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.5 percent
- Rank by population among Indiana counties5th of 92
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents263rd
St. Joseph County is the 5th largest of 92 Indiana counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.2 percent against 16.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
St. Joseph County
Is St. Joseph County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.31 percent
- Census 2020 base population272,908
- Births, 20243,172
- Deaths, 20242,845
- Natural change, 2024327
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,797
- Net international migration, 20241,558
- Total net migration, 2024-239
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-3,840
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1717th
The county has grown 0.31 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
St. Joseph County
Where people moving to St. Joseph County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,833
- People arriving, from those returns10,159
- Adjusted gross income arriving$354.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,820
- Largest single originSt. Joseph County Non-migrants (102,697 households)
- Largest single destination (102,697 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph County Non-migrants | 102,697 | 204,861 | $8.51 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,006 | 3,599 | $138.0 m |
| Elkhart County | 1,083 | 2,032 | $54.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 769 | 1,425 | $48.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 613 | 1,094 | $35.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 368 | 648 | $34.4 m |
| Berrien County | 341 | 617 | $17.1 m |
| LaPorte County | 282 | 444 | $12.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is St. Joseph 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.
St. Joseph County
What the St. Joseph County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$19.49 bn
- County GDP, 2023$18.72 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years33.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Indiana counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents264th
- GDP per resident$71,394
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 33.0 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.
St. Joseph County
Who employs people in St. Joseph County
- Covered employment, annual average121,043
- Establishments reporting6,539
- Average annual pay$59,303
- Average weekly wage$1,140
- Sector 62, employment23,097
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,191
- Sector 44-45, employment13,316
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,635
- Sector 31-33, employment13,078
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,948
- Sector 72, employment11,246
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,423
- Sector 61, employment8,857
- Sector 42, employment5,641
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 23,097 | 717 | $62,191 |
| Sector 44-45 | 13,316 | 849 | $36,635 |
| Sector 31-33 | 13,078 | 356 | $68,948 |
| Sector 72 | 11,246 | 611 | $23,423 |
| Sector 61 | 8,857 | 90 | $93,841 |
| Sector 42 | 5,641 | 465 | $77,516 |
| Sector 23 | 5,631 | 482 | $73,941 |
| Sector 56 | 5,029 | 399 | $43,662 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 23,097 jobs, 19.1 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.
St. Joseph County
What businesses operate in St. Joseph County
- Establishments, all industries5,959
- Employment at those establishments120,211
- Annual payroll$6.28 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.8
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.
St. Joseph County
What is being built in St. Joseph County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024752
- Declared construction value permitted$206.1 m
- Single family units authorised270
- Multifamily units authorised482
- Multifamily share of units64.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$274,122
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.0
Multifamily is 64.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
St. Joseph County
How much SBA lending happens in St. Joseph County
- 7(a) approvals recorded297
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$145.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$490,406
- Median 7(a) approval$141,800
- 10th percentile approval$28,800
- 90th percentile approval$1,464,800
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,549
- Jobs per approval8.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active44
- Distinct industries receiving approvals135
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms53
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter216
- Franchise loans40
- Franchise share of approvals13.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBeauty Salons (21)
- Most active lender1st Source Bank (112)
- 504 approvals recorded124
- 504 gross approval dollars$64.4 m
- Average 504 approval$519,516
- Median 504 approval$362,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval18.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved35.6
- Most active CDCBusiness Development Corporation (BDC) (109)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$210.1 m
The average approval of $490,406 sits well above the median of $141,800, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.8 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.
St. Joseph County
Do SBA loans in St. Joseph County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded75
- Paid in full75
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full75
- Status: Exempt from disclosure185
- Status: Cancelled26
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
Of the 75 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
St. Joseph County
Which parts of St. Joseph County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- SOUTH BEND, approvals121
- Mishawaka, approvals79
- Granger, approvals56
- OSCEOLA, approvals22
- North Liberty, approvals9
- New Carlisle, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SOUTH BEND | 121 | $68,029,500 |
| Mishawaka | 79 | $48,666,800 |
| Granger | 56 | $13,149,600 |
| OSCEOLA | 22 | $6,403,900 |
| North Liberty | 9 | $5,407,200 |
| New Carlisle | 4 | $329,200 |
| LAKEVILLE | 2 | $440,000 |
| WALKERTON | 2 | $84,000 |
SOUTH BEND accounts for 121 approvals against 79 in Mishawaka. 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.
St. Joseph County
How big is St. Joseph County
- Land area458 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Indiana counties17th of 92
- Width, east to west24.2 mi
- Height, north to south22.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land596
- Establishments per square mile13.01
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 St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population273,040
- Households107,252
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$66,868
- Median age36.7
Common questions
St. Joseph County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in St. Joseph County, Indiana?
273,040, in 107,252 households, ranking 5th of 92 Indiana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is St. Joseph County growing?
The population has grown 0.31 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,172 births against 2,845 deaths, with net migration of -239. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in St. Joseph County?
$66,868. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $192,800, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,062 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in St. Joseph County?
5,959 establishments, employing 120,211 people with an annual payroll of $6.28 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in St. Joseph County?
Average annual pay is $59,303, or $1,140 a week, across 121,043 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in St. Joseph County?
297 7(a) approvals totalling $145.7 m since FY2020, across 44 lenders, with a median approval of $141,800, plus 124 504 approvals worth $64.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in St. Joseph County get paid back?
Of the 75 loans that have reached a final outcome, 75 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in St. Joseph County?
752 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $206.1 m. Multifamily was 64.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph County come from?
The largest single origin is St. Joseph County Non-migrants, with 102,697 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,820 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 St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph 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.