Cherokee County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Cherokee County, Iowa has a population of 11,600 across 577 square miles, up 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.09 bn in 2024, 340 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $2.0 m.
114 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Cherokee County
How many people live in Cherokee County
- Population11,600
- Households5,045
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$71,269
- Median age44.0
- Median gross rent$758 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,700
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,321
- Population under 182,575
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over2,885
- Share 65 and over24.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,140
- Civilian labor force6,150
- Unemployment rate2.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.1 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties66th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2384th
Cherokee County is the 66th 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 24.9 percent against 22.2 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.
Cherokee County
Is Cherokee County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.00 percent
- Census 2020 base population11,658
- Births, 2024118
- Deaths, 2024174
- Natural change, 2024-56
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2
- Net international migration, 202465
- Total net migration, 202463
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024104
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1821st
The county has grown 0.00 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.
Cherokee County
Where people moving to Cherokee County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving270
- People arriving, from those returns505
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,667
- Largest single originCherokee County Non-migrants (4,638 households)
- Largest single destination (4,638 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County Non-migrants | 4,638 | 9,380 | $341.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 115 | 231 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 88 | 163 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 41 | 79 | $2.4 m |
| Buena Vista County | 36 | 66 | $1.5 m |
| Woodbury County | 31 | 45 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 27 | 46 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 20 | 38 | $966,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cherokee 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.
Cherokee County
What the Cherokee County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.01 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.3 percent
- GDP change over five years65.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties50th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1776th
- GDP per resident$93,687
Output grew 7.3 percent in the latest year and 65.6 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.
Cherokee County
Who employs people in Cherokee County
- Covered employment, annual average4,858
- Establishments reporting452
- Average annual pay$50,452
- Average weekly wage$970
- Sector 62, employment833
- Sector 62, average annual pay$48,206
- Sector 44-45, employment508
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,802
- Sector 48-49, employment498
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$66,492
- Sector 31-33, employment426
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,257
- Sector 72, employment297
- Sector 23, employment243
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 833 | 46 | $48,206 |
| Sector 44-45 | 508 | 46 | $32,802 |
| Sector 48-49 | 498 | 24 | $66,492 |
| Sector 31-33 | 426 | 20 | $61,257 |
| Sector 72 | 297 | 25 | $14,153 |
| Sector 23 | 243 | 49 | $60,657 |
| Sector 11 | 168 | 38 | $52,147 |
| Sector 52 | 142 | 25 | $68,352 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 833 jobs, 17.1 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.
Cherokee County
What businesses operate in Cherokee County
- Establishments, all industries340
- Employment at those establishments4,505
- Annual payroll$203.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.3
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.
Cherokee County
What is being built in Cherokee County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202471
- Declared construction value permitted$11.0 m
- Single family units authorised15
- Multifamily units authorised56
- Multifamily share of units78.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$154,924
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.1
Multifamily is 78.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cherokee County
How much SBA lending happens in Cherokee County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$403,920
- Median 7(a) approval$274,700
- 10th percentile approval$93,500
- 90th percentile approval$767,400
- Largest single approval$767,400
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)37
- Jobs per approval7.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countRadio Stations (1)
- Most active lenderCherokee State Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.8 m
- Average 504 approval$302,167
- Median 504 approval$336,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval1.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.4
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals45.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.8 m
The average approval of $403,920 sits well above the median of $274,700, 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 0.0 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.
Cherokee County
Do SBA loans in Cherokee County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Cherokee County
How big is Cherokee County
- Land area577 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties36th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land20
- Establishments per square mile0.59
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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population11,600
- Households5,045
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$71,269
- Median age44.0
Common questions
Cherokee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cherokee County, Iowa?
11,600, in 5,045 households, ranking 66th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cherokee County growing?
The population has grown 0.00 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 118 births against 174 deaths, with net migration of 63. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cherokee County?
$71,269. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,700, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $758 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cherokee County?
340 establishments, employing 4,505 people with an annual payroll of $203.2 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 Cherokee County?
Average annual pay is $50,452, or $970 a week, across 4,858 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cherokee County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $2.0 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $274,700, plus 6 504 approvals worth $1.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cherokee County?
71 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.0 m. Multifamily was 78.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cherokee 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 Cherokee County come from?
The largest single origin is Cherokee County Non-migrants, with 4,638 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,667 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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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.