Cedar County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Cedar County, Iowa has a population of 18,349 across 579 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $811.5 m in 2024, 460 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 20 7(a) approvals worth $5.2 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cedar County
How many people live in Cedar County
- Population18,349
- Households7,622
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$80,602
- Median age44.0
- Median gross rent$879 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$211,300
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,222
- Population under 183,875
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over3,859
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,615
- Civilian labor force9,680
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.9 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties38th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1972nd
Cedar County is the 38th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.1 percent against 21.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cedar County
Is Cedar County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.38 percent
- Census 2020 base population18,487
- Births, 2024151
- Deaths, 2024217
- Natural change, 2024-66
- Net domestic migration, 20240
- Net international migration, 202429
- Total net migration, 202429
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-38
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2320th
The county has lost 1.38 percent of its population 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.
Cedar County
Where people moving to Cedar County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving541
- People arriving, from those returns964
- Adjusted gross income arriving$32.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,457
- Largest single originCedar County Non-migrants (7,300 households)
- Largest single destination (7,300 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar County Non-migrants | 7,300 | 15,085 | $581.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 115 | 181 | $7.7 m |
| Johnson County | 110 | 191 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 94 | 181 | $4.6 m |
| Linn County | 76 | 131 | $4.5 m |
| Muscatine County | 76 | 139 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 54 | 84 | $3.0 m |
| Scott County | 49 | 97 | $2.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cedar 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.
Cedar County
What the Cedar County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$811.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$820.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.1 percent
- GDP change over five years35.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties61st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2018th
- GDP per resident$44,225
Output grew -1.1 percent in the latest year and 35.7 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.
Cedar County
Who employs people in Cedar County
- Covered employment, annual average5,170
- Establishments reporting588
- Average annual pay$49,261
- Average weekly wage$947
- Sector 31-33, employment600
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$58,582
- Sector 44-45, employment592
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,972
- Sector 42, employment455
- Sector 42, average annual pay$72,559
- Sector 23, employment292
- Sector 23, average annual pay$55,666
- Sector 72, employment219
- Sector 54, employment194
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 600 | 30 | $58,582 |
| Sector 44-45 | 592 | 50 | $30,972 |
| Sector 42 | 455 | 42 | $72,559 |
| Sector 23 | 292 | 66 | $55,666 |
| Sector 72 | 219 | 25 | $16,846 |
| Sector 54 | 194 | 47 | $57,689 |
| Sector 81 | 148 | 42 | $39,346 |
| Sector 52 | 105 | 32 | $67,405 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 600 jobs, 11.6 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.
Cedar County
What businesses operate in Cedar County
- Establishments, all industries460
- Employment at those establishments4,355
- Annual payroll$199.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.1
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.
Cedar County
What is being built in Cedar County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202449
- Declared construction value permitted$13.7 m
- Single family units authorised20
- Multifamily units authorised29
- Multifamily share of units59.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$279,338
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.4
Multifamily is 59.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cedar County
How much SBA lending happens in Cedar County
- 7(a) approvals recorded20
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$259,400
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$892,500
- Largest single approval$1,550,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)77
- Jobs per approval3.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter16
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals5.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (5)
- Most active lenderNewtek Bank, National Association (4)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.0 m
- Average 504 approval$256,500
- Median 504 approval$189,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.4
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.2 m
The average approval of $259,400 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 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.
Cedar County
Do SBA loans in Cedar County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Cedar County
Which parts of Cedar County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- CLARENCE, approvals5
- WEST BRANCH, approvals4
- MECHANICSVILLE, approvals3
- DURANT, approvals3
- TIPTON, approvals3
- LISBON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CLARENCE | 5 | $850,000 |
| WEST BRANCH | 4 | $1,008,500 |
| MECHANICSVILLE | 3 | $992,500 |
| DURANT | 3 | $1,865,000 |
| TIPTON | 3 | $294,000 |
| LISBON | 1 | $70,000 |
| BENNETT | 1 | $108,000 |
CLARENCE accounts for 5 approvals against 4 in WEST BRANCH. 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.
Cedar County
How big is Cedar County
- Land area579 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties31st of 99
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land32
- Establishments per square mile0.79
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 Cedar 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 Cedar County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population18,349
- Households7,622
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$80,602
- Median age44.0
Common questions
Cedar County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cedar County, Iowa?
18,349, in 7,622 households, ranking 38th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cedar County growing?
The population has fallen 1.38 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 151 births against 217 deaths, with net migration of 29. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cedar County?
$80,602. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $211,300, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $879 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cedar County?
460 establishments, employing 4,355 people with an annual payroll of $199.3 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 Cedar County?
Average annual pay is $49,261, or $947 a week, across 5,170 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cedar County?
20 7(a) approvals totalling $5.2 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cedar County?
49 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.7 m. Multifamily was 59.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cedar 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 Cedar County come from?
The largest single origin is Cedar County Non-migrants, with 7,300 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,457 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 Cedar 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 Cedar 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.