Clarke County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Clarke County, Iowa has a population of 9,662 across 431 square miles, down 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $638.9 m in 2024, 188 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $525,000.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Clarke County
How many people live in Clarke County
- Population9,662
- Households4,071
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$71,641
- Median age37.9
- Median gross rent$931 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$161,100
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,321
- Population under 182,470
- Share under 1825.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,924
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,268
- Civilian labor force4,816
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.0 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties77th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2514th
Clarke County is the 77th 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 25.6 percent against 19.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clarke County
Is Clarke County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.29 percent
- Census 2020 base population9,747
- Births, 2024124
- Deaths, 2024132
- Natural change, 2024-8
- Net domestic migration, 2024-97
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024-98
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-213
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2570th
The county has lost 2.29 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Clarke County
Where people moving to Clarke County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving295
- People arriving, from those returns570
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,166
- Largest single originClarke County Non-migrants (3,406 households)
- Largest single destination (3,406 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke County Non-migrants | 3,406 | 7,321 | $210.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 108 | 203 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 85 | 168 | $4.4 m |
| Polk County | 56 | 109 | $3.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 39 | 82 | $1.7 m |
| Decatur County | 25 | 53 | $765,000 |
| Other flows - South | 24 | 41 | $1.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 22 | 45 | $974,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Clarke 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.
Clarke County
What the Clarke County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$638.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$576.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.8 percent
- GDP change over five years50.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties79th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2227th
- GDP per resident$66,122
Output grew 10.8 percent in the latest year and 50.0 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.
Clarke County
Who employs people in Clarke County
- Covered employment, annual average4,701
- Establishments reporting248
- Average annual pay$49,976
- Average weekly wage$961
- Sector 31-33, employment1,539
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,061
- Sector 44-45, employment541
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,047
- Sector 42, employment111
- Sector 42, average annual pay$60,989
- Sector 23, employment99
- Sector 23, average annual pay$36,167
- Sector 52, employment89
- Sector 56, employment62
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,539 | 13 | $60,061 |
| Sector 44-45 | 541 | 30 | $29,047 |
| Sector 42 | 111 | 14 | $60,989 |
| Sector 23 | 99 | 17 | $36,167 |
| Sector 52 | 89 | 15 | $68,432 |
| Sector 56 | 62 | 11 | $44,688 |
| Sector 81 | 29 | 13 | $40,403 |
| Sector 53 | 9 | 7 | $35,262 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,539 jobs, 32.7 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.
Clarke County
What businesses operate in Clarke County
- Establishments, all industries188
- Employment at those establishments3,560
- Annual payroll$170.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.5
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.
Clarke County
What is being built in Clarke County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024125
- Declared construction value permitted$17.4 m
- Single family units authorised125
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$139,488
- Units authorised per 1,000 households30.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clarke County
How much SBA lending happens in Clarke County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$525,000
- Average 7(a) approval$175,000
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$375,000
- Largest single approval$375,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)99
- Jobs per approval33.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (1)
- Most active lenderFirst National Bank Ames, Iowa (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$341,000
- Average 504 approval$341,000
- Median 504 approval$341,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.7
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$866,000
The average approval of $175,000 sits well above the median of $100,000, 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. 33.3 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.
Clarke County
Do SBA loans in Clarke County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Clarke County
How big is Clarke County
- Land area431 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties88th of 99
- Width, east to west23.9 mi
- Height, north to south18.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.44
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 Clarke 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 Clarke County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population9,662
- Households4,071
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$71,641
- Median age37.9
Common questions
Clarke County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clarke County, Iowa?
9,662, in 4,071 households, ranking 77th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clarke County growing?
The population has fallen 2.29 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 124 births against 132 deaths, with net migration of -98. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clarke County?
$71,641. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $161,100, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $931 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clarke County?
188 establishments, employing 3,560 people with an annual payroll of $170.1 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 Clarke County?
Average annual pay is $49,976, or $961 a week, across 4,701 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clarke County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $525,000 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $341,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Clarke County?
125 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $17.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clarke 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 Clarke County come from?
The largest single origin is Clarke County Non-migrants, with 3,406 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,166 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 Clarke 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 Clarke 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.