Buchanan County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Buchanan County, Iowa has a population of 20,694 across 571 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.09 bn in 2024, 490 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $2.3 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Buchanan County
How many people live in Buchanan County
- Population20,694
- Households8,252
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$78,236
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$848 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$176,000
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,946
- Population under 185,251
- Share under 1825.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,855
- Share 65 and over18.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,588
- Civilian labor force11,017
- Unemployment rate2.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.3 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties31st of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1840th
Buchanan County is the 31st largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.4 percent against 18.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Buchanan County
Is Buchanan County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.83 percent
- Census 2020 base population20,563
- Births, 2024249
- Deaths, 2024208
- Natural change, 202441
- Net domestic migration, 2024-100
- Net international migration, 202466
- Total net migration, 2024-34
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-182
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1539th
The county has grown 0.83 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.
Buchanan County
Where people moving to Buchanan County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving467
- People arriving, from those returns779
- Adjusted gross income arriving$23.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,944
- Largest single originBuchanan County Non-migrants (7,683 households)
- Largest single destination (7,683 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan County Non-migrants | 7,683 | 16,970 | $609.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 112 | 171 | $5.9 m |
| Black Hawk County | 95 | 148 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 89 | 157 | $5.7 m |
| Linn County | 66 | 130 | $3.4 m |
| Fayette County | 63 | 109 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 41 | 64 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 26 | 50 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Buchanan 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.
Buchanan County
What the Buchanan County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.07 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.6 percent
- GDP change over five years37.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties49th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1775th
- GDP per resident$52,528
Output grew 1.6 percent in the latest year and 37.6 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.
Buchanan County
Who employs people in Buchanan County
- Covered employment, annual average6,619
- Establishments reporting638
- Average annual pay$50,047
- Average weekly wage$962
- Sector 31-33, employment1,472
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,262
- Sector 44-45, employment894
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,342
- Sector 62, employment551
- Sector 62, average annual pay$34,761
- Sector 23, employment434
- Sector 23, average annual pay$53,109
- Sector 72, employment377
- Sector 52, employment240
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,472 | 42 | $62,262 |
| Sector 44-45 | 894 | 70 | $32,342 |
| Sector 62 | 551 | 69 | $34,761 |
| Sector 23 | 434 | 80 | $53,109 |
| Sector 72 | 377 | 34 | $14,163 |
| Sector 52 | 240 | 39 | $74,719 |
| Sector 42 | 214 | 38 | $73,040 |
| Sector 54 | 113 | 29 | $56,113 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,472 jobs, 22.2 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.
Buchanan County
What businesses operate in Buchanan County
- Establishments, all industries490
- Employment at those establishments5,387
- Annual payroll$253.1 m
- 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.
Buchanan County
What is being built in Buchanan County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202431
- Declared construction value permitted$9.6 m
- Single family units authorised27
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units12.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$309,690
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.8
Multifamily is 12.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Buchanan County
How much SBA lending happens in Buchanan County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$234,700
- Median 7(a) approval$202,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,000
- 90th percentile approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$500,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)81
- Jobs per approval8.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term84 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSnack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (2)
- Most active lenderFarmers State Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.4 m
- Average 504 approval$171,125
- Median 504 approval$166,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval2.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.9
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals55.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.7 m
The average approval of $234,700 sits close to the median of $202,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 10.0 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.
Buchanan County
Do SBA loans in Buchanan County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Buchanan County
Which parts of Buchanan County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- JESUP, approvals5
- INDEPENDENCE, approvals4
- FAIRBANK, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| JESUP | 5 | $1,015,300 |
| INDEPENDENCE | 4 | $831,700 |
| FAIRBANK | 1 | $500,000 |
JESUP accounts for 5 approvals against 4 in INDEPENDENCE. 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.
Buchanan County
How big is Buchanan County
- Land area571 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties45th of 99
- Width, east to west24.8 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land36
- Establishments per square mile0.86
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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population20,694
- Households8,252
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$78,236
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Buchanan County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Buchanan County, Iowa?
20,694, in 8,252 households, ranking 31st of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Buchanan County growing?
The population has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 249 births against 208 deaths, with net migration of -34. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Buchanan County?
$78,236. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $176,000, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $848 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Buchanan County?
490 establishments, employing 5,387 people with an annual payroll of $253.1 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 Buchanan County?
Average annual pay is $50,047, or $962 a week, across 6,619 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Buchanan County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $2.3 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $202,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $1.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Buchanan County?
31 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.6 m. Multifamily was 12.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Buchanan 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 Buchanan County come from?
The largest single origin is Buchanan County Non-migrants, with 7,683 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,944 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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan 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.