Butler County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Butler County, Iowa has a population of 14,268 across 580 square miles, down 1.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $705.3 m in 2024, 324 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $2.3 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Butler County
How many people live in Butler County
- Population14,268
- Households5,863
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$73,715
- Median age43.7
- Median gross rent$812 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$165,400
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,120
- Population under 183,193
- Share under 1822.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,306
- Share 65 and over23.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,769
- Civilian labor force7,340
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.3 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties55th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2206th
Butler County is the 55th 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 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.2 percent against 22.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Butler County
Is Butler County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.26 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,336
- Births, 2024153
- Deaths, 2024189
- Natural change, 2024-36
- Net domestic migration, 2024-66
- Net international migration, 202434
- Total net migration, 2024-32
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-94
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2277th
The county has lost 1.26 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Butler County
Where people moving to Butler County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving285
- People arriving, from those returns497
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,958
- Largest single originButler County Non-migrants (5,544 households)
- Largest single destination (5,544 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County Non-migrants | 5,544 | 11,824 | $406.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 133 | 218 | $6.8 m |
| Black Hawk County | 70 | 117 | $3.7 m |
| Bremer County | 56 | 115 | $3.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 26 | 47 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 26 | 47 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Butler 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.
Butler County
What the Butler County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$705.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$758.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-7.1 percent
- GDP change over five years63.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties72nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2130th
- GDP per resident$49,431
Output grew -7.1 percent in the latest year and 63.8 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.
Butler County
Who employs people in Butler County
- Covered employment, annual average3,691
- Establishments reporting424
- Average annual pay$53,211
- Average weekly wage$1,023
- Sector 31-33, employment1,014
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,038
- Sector 44-45, employment392
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,048
- Sector 56, employment237
- Sector 56, average annual pay$75,772
- Sector 42, employment154
- Sector 42, average annual pay$71,008
- Sector 23, employment140
- Sector 72, employment103
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,014 | 30 | $70,038 |
| Sector 44-45 | 392 | 48 | $33,048 |
| Sector 56 | 237 | 18 | $75,772 |
| Sector 42 | 154 | 33 | $71,008 |
| Sector 23 | 140 | 38 | $58,079 |
| Sector 72 | 103 | 17 | $8,475 |
| Sector 52 | 100 | 26 | $61,402 |
| Sector 81 | 49 | 25 | $46,160 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,014 jobs, 27.5 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.
Butler County
What businesses operate in Butler County
- Establishments, all industries324
- Employment at those establishments2,602
- Annual payroll$125.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.7
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.
Butler County
What is being built in Butler County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202427
- Declared construction value permitted$8.3 m
- Single family units authorised27
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$305,838
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Butler County
How much SBA lending happens in Butler County
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$290,238
- Median 7(a) approval$256,000
- 10th percentile approval$72,200
- 90th percentile approval$567,000
- Largest single approval$567,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)36
- Jobs per approval4.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (2)
- Most active lenderFarmers State Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$710,000
- Average 504 approval$355,000
- Median 504 approval$616,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved23.9
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.0 m
The average approval of $290,238 sits close to the median of $256,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 25.0 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.
Butler County
Do SBA loans in Butler County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Butler County
Which parts of Butler County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Allison, approvals2
- Shell Rock, approvals2
- Greene, approvals1
- PARKERSBURG, approvals1
- NEW HARTFORD, approvals1
- APLINGTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Allison | 2 | $659,800 |
| Shell Rock | 2 | $222,200 |
| Greene | 1 | $256,000 |
| PARKERSBURG | 1 | $487,900 |
| NEW HARTFORD | 1 | $129,000 |
| APLINGTON | 1 | $567,000 |
Allison accounts for 2 approvals against 2 in Shell Rock. 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.
Butler County
How big is Butler County
- Land area580 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties29th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land25
- Establishments per square mile0.56
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 Butler 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 Butler County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,268
- Households5,863
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$73,715
- Median age43.7
Common questions
Butler County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Butler County, Iowa?
14,268, in 5,863 households, ranking 55th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Butler County growing?
The population has fallen 1.26 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 153 births against 189 deaths, with net migration of -32. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Butler County?
$73,715. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,400, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $812 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Butler County?
324 establishments, employing 2,602 people with an annual payroll of $125.8 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 Butler County?
Average annual pay is $53,211, or $1,023 a week, across 3,691 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Butler County?
8 7(a) approvals totalling $2.3 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $256,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $710,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Butler County?
27 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Butler 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 Butler County come from?
The largest single origin is Butler County Non-migrants, with 5,544 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,958 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 Butler 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 Butler 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.