Black Hawk County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Black Hawk County, Iowa has a population of 131,049 across 566 square miles, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $10.04 bn in 2024, 3,105 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 132 7(a) approvals worth $50.2 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Black Hawk County
How many people live in Black Hawk County
- Population131,049
- Households54,563
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$66,417
- Median age35.7
- Median gross rent$989 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$188,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over83,288
- Population under 1828,744
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over23,138
- Share 65 and over17.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6479,167
- Civilian labor force70,124
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.5 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties5th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents499th
Black Hawk County is the 5th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 17.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Black Hawk County
Is Black Hawk County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.92 percent
- Census 2020 base population131,142
- Births, 20241,615
- Deaths, 20241,319
- Natural change, 2024296
- Net domestic migration, 2024-223
- Net international migration, 20241,098
- Total net migration, 2024875
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,212
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1507th
The county has grown 0.92 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Black Hawk County
Where people moving to Black Hawk County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,546
- People arriving, from those returns4,144
- Adjusted gross income arriving$125.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,227
- Largest single originBlack Hawk County Non-migrants (48,399 households)
- Largest single destination (48,399 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County Non-migrants | 48,399 | 95,849 | $3.89 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 921 | 1,640 | $48.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 373 | 528 | $16.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 352 | 621 | $20.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 282 | 507 | $13.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 236 | 434 | $12.1 m |
| Bremer County | 186 | 300 | $9.0 m |
| Linn County | 133 | 227 | $4.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Black Hawk 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.
Black Hawk County
What the Black Hawk County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$10.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$9.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years21.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents437th
- GDP per resident$76,607
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 21.1 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.
Black Hawk County
Who employs people in Black Hawk County
- Covered employment, annual average70,886
- Establishments reporting3,947
- Average annual pay$59,631
- Average weekly wage$1,147
- Sector 31-33, employment13,298
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$87,134
- Sector 62, employment10,852
- Sector 62, average annual pay$59,120
- Sector 44-45, employment8,506
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,090
- Sector 72, employment6,080
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,630
- Sector 48-49, employment3,671
- Sector 56, employment2,920
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 13,298 | 167 | $87,134 |
| Sector 62 | 10,852 | 596 | $59,120 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,506 | 472 | $35,090 |
| Sector 72 | 6,080 | 323 | $20,630 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,671 | 143 | $55,797 |
| Sector 56 | 2,920 | 264 | $43,899 |
| Sector 81 | 2,761 | 263 | $49,200 |
| Sector 23 | 2,578 | 266 | $67,786 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 13,298 jobs, 18.8 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.
Black Hawk County
What businesses operate in Black Hawk County
- Establishments, all industries3,105
- Employment at those establishments63,693
- Annual payroll$3.61 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.7
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.
Black Hawk County
What is being built in Black Hawk County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024289
- Declared construction value permitted$74.6 m
- Single family units authorised166
- Multifamily units authorised123
- Multifamily share of units42.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$258,298
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.3
Multifamily is 42.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Black Hawk County
How much SBA lending happens in Black Hawk County
- 7(a) approvals recorded132
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$50.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$380,355
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$45,500
- 90th percentile approval$859,000
- Largest single approval$4,478,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,683
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active25
- Distinct industries receiving approvals76
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter110
- Franchise loans17
- Franchise share of approvals12.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (11)
- Most active lenderFarmers State Bank (48)
- 504 approvals recorded68
- 504 gross approval dollars$32.2 m
- Average 504 approval$473,088
- Median 504 approval$302,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval8.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.7
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (60)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$82.4 m
The average approval of $380,355 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 6.8 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.
Black Hawk County
Do SBA loans in Black Hawk County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded46
- Paid in full44
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans4.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full44
- Status: Exempt from disclosure69
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.3 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.
Black Hawk County
Which parts of Black Hawk County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- CEDAR FALLS, approvals67
- WATERLOO, approvals48
- HUDSON, approvals8
- DUNKERTON, approvals3
- La Porte City, approvals2
- GILBERTVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CEDAR FALLS | 67 | $23,066,100 |
| WATERLOO | 48 | $22,429,400 |
| HUDSON | 8 | $3,290,500 |
| DUNKERTON | 3 | $388,400 |
| La Porte City | 2 | $327,000 |
| GILBERTVILLE | 1 | $61,100 |
| Janesville | 1 | $269,800 |
| LaPorte City | 1 | $329,500 |
CEDAR FALLS accounts for 67 approvals against 48 in WATERLOO. 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.
Black Hawk County
How big is Black Hawk County
- Land area566 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties57th of 99
- Width, east to west25 mi
- Height, north to south23.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land232
- Establishments per square mile5.49
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 Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population131,049
- Households54,563
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$66,417
- Median age35.7
Common questions
Black Hawk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
131,049, in 54,563 households, ranking 5th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Black Hawk County growing?
The population has grown 0.92 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,615 births against 1,319 deaths, with net migration of 875. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Black Hawk County?
$66,417. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $188,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $989 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Black Hawk County?
3,105 establishments, employing 63,693 people with an annual payroll of $3.61 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 Black Hawk County?
Average annual pay is $59,631, or $1,147 a week, across 70,886 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Black Hawk County?
132 7(a) approvals totalling $50.2 m since FY2020, across 25 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 68 504 approvals worth $32.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Black Hawk County get paid back?
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 44 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 4.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Black Hawk County?
289 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $74.6 m. Multifamily was 42.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County come from?
The largest single origin is Black Hawk County Non-migrants, with 48,399 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,227 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 Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk 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.