Bremer County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Bremer County, Iowa has a population of 25,204 across 435 square miles, up 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.58 bn in 2024, 552 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 27 7(a) approvals worth $6.7 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bremer County
How many people live in Bremer County
- Population25,204
- Households9,716
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$86,784
- Median age39.0
- Median gross rent$921 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$219,600
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,629
- Population under 185,654
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,980
- Share 65 and over19.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6414,570
- Civilian labor force13,344
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.3 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties26th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1649th
Bremer County is the 26th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.4 percent against 19.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Bremer County
Is Bremer County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.37 percent
- Census 2020 base population24,985
- Births, 2024235
- Deaths, 2024256
- Natural change, 2024-21
- Net domestic migration, 202419
- Net international migration, 202426
- Total net migration, 202445
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024320
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1375th
The county has grown 1.37 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.
Bremer County
Where people moving to Bremer County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving694
- People arriving, from those returns1,278
- Adjusted gross income arriving$44.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$63,644
- Largest single originBremer County Non-migrants (9,116 households)
- Largest single destination (9,116 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremer County Non-migrants | 9,116 | 20,024 | $840.6 m |
| Black Hawk County | 223 | 414 | $14.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 164 | 306 | $10.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 155 | 279 | $9.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 81 | 145 | $5.4 m |
| Butler County | 51 | 90 | $3.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 48 | 98 | $3.2 m |
| Fayette County | 40 | 81 | $1.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bremer 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.
Bremer County
What the Bremer County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.58 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.52 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years35.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties27th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1470th
- GDP per resident$62,717
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 35.9 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.
Bremer County
Who employs people in Bremer County
- Covered employment, annual average9,685
- Establishments reporting749
- Average annual pay$52,555
- Average weekly wage$1,011
- Sector 31-33, employment1,325
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,128
- Sector 44-45, employment1,232
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,496
- Sector 52, employment950
- Sector 52, average annual pay$89,165
- Sector 72, employment583
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,633
- Sector 23, employment447
- Sector 42, employment239
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,325 | 42 | $68,128 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,232 | 74 | $30,496 |
| Sector 52 | 950 | 68 | $89,165 |
| Sector 72 | 583 | 44 | $16,633 |
| Sector 23 | 447 | 62 | $59,502 |
| Sector 42 | 239 | 44 | $70,304 |
| Sector 81 | 181 | 52 | $37,902 |
| Sector 54 | 170 | 68 | $99,192 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,325 jobs, 13.7 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.
Bremer County
What businesses operate in Bremer County
- Establishments, all industries552
- Employment at those establishments8,178
- Annual payroll$403.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.9
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.
Bremer County
What is being built in Bremer County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202437
- Declared construction value permitted$15.7 m
- Single family units authorised37
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$423,208
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bremer County
How much SBA lending happens in Bremer County
- 7(a) approvals recorded27
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$246,533
- Median 7(a) approval$117,000
- 10th percentile approval$33,500
- 90th percentile approval$864,700
- Largest single approval$1,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)151
- Jobs per approval5.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter18
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals3.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countCar Washes (3)
- Most active lenderFirst Bank (11)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.6 m
- Average 504 approval$331,250
- Median 504 approval$321,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved23.0
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (8)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.3 m
The average approval of $246,533 sits well above the median of $117,000, 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 25.9 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.
Bremer County
Do SBA loans in Bremer County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure19
- Status: Paid in full7
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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.
Bremer County
Which parts of Bremer County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- WAVERLY, approvals18
- Sumner, approvals3
- Janesville, approvals2
- Denver, approvals2
- Readlyn, approvals1
- TRIPOLI, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WAVERLY | 18 | $3,682,300 |
| Sumner | 3 | $379,000 |
| Janesville | 2 | $1,250,000 |
| Denver | 2 | $995,100 |
| Readlyn | 1 | $50,000 |
| TRIPOLI | 1 | $300,000 |
WAVERLY accounts for 18 approvals against 3 in Sumner. 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.
Bremer County
How big is Bremer County
- Land area435 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties82nd of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south18.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land58
- Establishments per square mile1.27
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 Bremer 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 Bremer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population25,204
- Households9,716
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$86,784
- Median age39.0
Common questions
Bremer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bremer County, Iowa?
25,204, in 9,716 households, ranking 26th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bremer County growing?
The population has grown 1.37 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 235 births against 256 deaths, with net migration of 45. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bremer County?
$86,784. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $219,600, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $921 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bremer County?
552 establishments, employing 8,178 people with an annual payroll of $403.3 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 Bremer County?
Average annual pay is $52,555, or $1,011 a week, across 9,685 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bremer County?
27 7(a) approvals totalling $6.7 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $117,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $2.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bremer County?
37 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bremer 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 Bremer County come from?
The largest single origin is Bremer County Non-migrants, with 9,116 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,644 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 Bremer 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 Bremer 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.