Clayton County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Clayton County, Iowa has a population of 17,013 across 779 square miles, down 0.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.18 bn in 2024, 487 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $4.0 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Clayton County
How many people live in Clayton County
- Population17,013
- Households7,509
- Average household size2.27
- Median household income$67,242
- Median age46.4
- Median gross rent$790 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,500
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,184
- Population under 183,680
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over4,260
- Share 65 and over25.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,073
- Civilian labor force8,535
- Unemployment rate2.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.0 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties41st of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2035th
Clayton County is the 41st largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.0 percent against 21.6 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.
Clayton County
Is Clayton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.69 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,048
- Births, 2024142
- Deaths, 2024225
- Natural change, 2024-83
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4
- Net international migration, 202433
- Total net migration, 202429
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202436
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2086th
The county has lost 0.69 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.
Clayton County
Where people moving to Clayton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving361
- People arriving, from those returns654
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,058
- Largest single originClayton County Non-migrants (6,936 households)
- Largest single destination (6,936 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton County Non-migrants | 6,936 | 14,283 | $495.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 106 | 160 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 99 | 200 | $7.8 m |
| Allamakee County | 44 | 81 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 44 | 89 | $2.9 m |
| Fayette County | 33 | 73 | $2.5 m |
| Crawford County | 29 | 46 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 29 | 61 | $2.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Clayton 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.
Clayton County
What the Clayton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.18 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.13 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.8 percent
- GDP change over five years36.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties41st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1707th
- GDP per resident$69,171
Output grew 3.8 percent in the latest year and 36.9 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.
Clayton County
Who employs people in Clayton County
- Covered employment, annual average6,230
- Establishments reporting614
- Average annual pay$51,349
- Average weekly wage$987
- Sector 31-33, employment959
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$55,640
- Sector 44-45, employment673
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,452
- Sector 23, employment504
- Sector 23, average annual pay$80,397
- Sector 72, employment322
- Sector 72, average annual pay$12,460
- Sector 42, employment256
- Sector 52, employment186
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 959 | 34 | $55,640 |
| Sector 44-45 | 673 | 80 | $33,452 |
| Sector 23 | 504 | 53 | $80,397 |
| Sector 72 | 322 | 48 | $12,460 |
| Sector 42 | 256 | 32 | $70,274 |
| Sector 52 | 186 | 35 | $62,601 |
| Sector 71 | 160 | 8 | $32,929 |
| Sector 81 | 112 | 38 | $41,157 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 959 jobs, 15.4 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.
Clayton County
What businesses operate in Clayton County
- Establishments, all industries487
- Employment at those establishments4,999
- Annual payroll$250.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.6
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.
Clayton County
What is being built in Clayton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202455
- Declared construction value permitted$17.7 m
- Single family units authorised49
- Multifamily units authorised6
- Multifamily share of units10.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$322,634
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.3
Multifamily is 10.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clayton County
How much SBA lending happens in Clayton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$668,183
- Median 7(a) approval$495,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,388,000
- Largest single approval$1,388,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)56
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countWineries (3)
- Most active lenderTowneBank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.4 m
- Average 504 approval$707,000
- Median 504 approval$828,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval8.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.0
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.4 m
The average approval of $668,183 sits close to the median of $495,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 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.
Clayton County
Do SBA loans in Clayton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
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.
Clayton County
Which parts of Clayton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Marquette, approvals3
- Guttenberg, approvals1
- LUANA, approvals1
- Strawberry Point, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Marquette | 3 | $1,826,100 |
| Guttenberg | 1 | $300,000 |
| LUANA | 1 | $495,000 |
| Strawberry Point | 1 | $1,388,000 |
Marquette accounts for 3 approvals against 1 in Guttenberg. 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.
Clayton County
How big is Clayton County
- Land area779 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties5th of 99
- Width, east to west36 mi
- Height, north to south30.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.63
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 Clayton 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 Clayton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population17,013
- Households7,509
- Average household size2.27
- Median household income$67,242
- Median age46.4
Common questions
Clayton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clayton County, Iowa?
17,013, in 7,509 households, ranking 41st of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clayton County growing?
The population has fallen 0.69 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 142 births against 225 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 Clayton County?
$67,242. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,500, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $790 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clayton County?
487 establishments, employing 4,999 people with an annual payroll of $250.3 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 Clayton County?
Average annual pay is $51,349, or $987 a week, across 6,230 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clayton County?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $4.0 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $495,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Clayton County?
55 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $17.7 m. Multifamily was 10.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clayton 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 Clayton County come from?
The largest single origin is Clayton County Non-migrants, with 6,936 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,058 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 Clayton 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 Clayton 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.