Buena Vista County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Buena Vista County, Iowa has a population of 20,753 across 575 square miles, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.94 bn in 2024, 491 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Buena Vista County
How many people live in Buena Vista County
- Population20,753
- Households7,546
- Average household size2.75
- Median household income$71,719
- Median age35.6
- Median gross rent$894 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$159,500
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,051
- Population under 185,519
- Share under 1826.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,373
- Share 65 and over16.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,861
- Civilian labor force10,923
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.7 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties30th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1838th
Buena Vista County is the 30th 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 26.6 percent against 16.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Buena Vista County
Is Buena Vista County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.05 percent
- Census 2020 base population20,826
- Births, 2024293
- Deaths, 2024158
- Natural change, 2024135
- Net domestic migration, 2024-321
- Net international migration, 2024304
- Total net migration, 2024-17
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,276
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1849th
The county has lost 0.05 percent of its population 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.
Buena Vista County
Where people moving to Buena Vista County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving454
- People arriving, from those returns869
- Adjusted gross income arriving$20.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,361
- Largest single originBuena Vista County Non-migrants (7,652 households)
- Largest single destination (7,652 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County Non-migrants | 7,652 | 16,603 | $557.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 233 | 449 | $9.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 162 | 313 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 97 | 171 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 72 | 150 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 64 | 128 | $2.7 m |
| Sac County | 30 | 49 | $1.2 m |
| Cherokee County | 29 | 58 | $1.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Buena Vista 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.
Buena Vista County
What the Buena Vista County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.94 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.79 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.2 percent
- GDP change over five years48.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties22nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1307th
- GDP per resident$93,403
Output grew 8.2 percent in the latest year and 48.0 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.
Buena Vista County
Who employs people in Buena Vista County
- Covered employment, annual average10,683
- Establishments reporting610
- Average annual pay$53,893
- Average weekly wage$1,036
- Sector 31-33, employment3,630
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,454
- Sector 44-45, employment1,134
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,748
- Sector 72, employment778
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,168
- Sector 11, employment449
- Sector 11, average annual pay$68,872
- Sector 23, employment379
- Sector 42, employment262
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,630 | 28 | $62,454 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,134 | 85 | $30,748 |
| Sector 72 | 778 | 42 | $16,168 |
| Sector 11 | 449 | 38 | $68,872 |
| Sector 23 | 379 | 50 | $83,337 |
| Sector 42 | 262 | 40 | $82,725 |
| Sector 52 | 255 | 42 | $75,283 |
| Sector 56 | 251 | 22 | $46,996 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,630 jobs, 34.0 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.
Buena Vista County
What businesses operate in Buena Vista County
- Establishments, all industries491
- Employment at those establishments8,855
- Annual payroll$403.8 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.
Buena Vista County
What is being built in Buena Vista County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024172
- Declared construction value permitted$38.0 m
- Single family units authorised91
- Multifamily units authorised81
- Multifamily share of units47.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$220,890
- Units authorised per 1,000 households22.8
Multifamily is 47.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Buena Vista County
How much SBA lending happens in Buena Vista County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,029,233
- Median 7(a) approval$715,200
- 10th percentile approval$32,500
- 90th percentile approval$2,340,000
- Largest single approval$2,340,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)35
- Jobs per approval11.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term272 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer66.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (1)
- Most active lenderUnited Bank of Iowa (1)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.2 m
- Average 504 approval$720,900
- Median 504 approval$657,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval5.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.2
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (10)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals23.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.3 m
The average approval of $1,029,233 sits well above the median of $715,200, 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. 66.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Buena Vista County
Do SBA loans in Buena Vista County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Buena Vista County
Which parts of Buena Vista County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Storm Lake, approvals2
- ALBERT CITY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Storm Lake | 2 | $3,055,200 |
| ALBERT CITY | 1 | $32,500 |
Storm Lake accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in ALBERT CITY. 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.
Buena Vista County
How big is Buena Vista County
- Land area575 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties38th of 99
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land36
- Establishments per square mile0.85
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 Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population20,753
- Households7,546
- Average household size2.75
- Median household income$71,719
- Median age35.6
Common questions
Buena Vista County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Buena Vista County, Iowa?
20,753, in 7,546 households, ranking 30th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Buena Vista County growing?
The population has fallen 0.05 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 293 births against 158 deaths, with net migration of -17. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Buena Vista County?
$71,719. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $159,500, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $894 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Buena Vista County?
491 establishments, employing 8,855 people with an annual payroll of $403.8 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 Buena Vista County?
Average annual pay is $53,893, or $1,036 a week, across 10,683 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Buena Vista County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $715,200, plus 10 504 approvals worth $7.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Buena Vista County?
172 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $38.0 m. Multifamily was 47.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista County come from?
The largest single origin is Buena Vista County Non-migrants, with 7,652 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,361 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 Buena Vista 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 Buena Vista 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.