Dallas County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Dallas County, Iowa has a population of 107,968 across 588 square miles, up 15.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $11.11 bn in 2024, 2,521 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 106 7(a) approvals worth $40.7 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dallas County
How many people live in Dallas County
- Population107,968
- Households42,471
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$102,379
- Median age36.1
- Median gross rent$1,311 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$355,600
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher51.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over71,218
- Population under 1828,676
- Share under 1826.6 percent
- Population 65 and over13,893
- Share 65 and over12.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6465,399
- Civilian labor force61,013
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over76.9 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties6th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents581st
Dallas County is the 6th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 26.6 percent against 12.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dallas County
Is Dallas County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base15.65 percent
- Census 2020 base population99,735
- Births, 20241,387
- Deaths, 2024651
- Natural change, 2024736
- Net domestic migration, 20242,079
- Net international migration, 2024919
- Total net migration, 20242,998
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,563
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents49th
The county has grown 15.65 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dallas County
Where people moving to Dallas County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,343
- People arriving, from those returns9,213
- Adjusted gross income arriving$424.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$79,519
- Largest single originDallas County Non-migrants (37,688 households)
- Largest single destination (37,688 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County Non-migrants | 37,688 | 85,950 | $5.61 bn |
| Polk County | 2,575 | 4,456 | $212.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,211 | 2,231 | $103.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 485 | 873 | $39.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 418 | 647 | $28.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 337 | 633 | $33.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 304 | 563 | $23.7 m |
| Warren County | 145 | 266 | $12.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dallas 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.
Dallas County
What the Dallas County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$11.11 bn
- County GDP, 2023$10.34 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.4 percent
- GDP change over five years57.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents408th
- GDP per resident$102,869
Output grew 7.4 percent in the latest year and 57.7 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.
Dallas County
Who employs people in Dallas County
- Covered employment, annual average55,258
- Establishments reporting3,600
- Average annual pay$76,316
- Average weekly wage$1,468
- Sector 52, employment16,713
- Sector 52, average annual pay$122,978
- Sector 44-45, employment7,365
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,974
- Sector 62, employment6,021
- Sector 62, average annual pay$70,191
- Sector 72, employment4,597
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,990
- Sector 54, employment2,102
- Sector 56, employment1,964
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 52 | 16,713 | 378 | $122,978 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,365 | 309 | $33,974 |
| Sector 62 | 6,021 | 373 | $70,191 |
| Sector 72 | 4,597 | 218 | $25,990 |
| Sector 54 | 2,102 | 596 | $92,824 |
| Sector 56 | 1,964 | 214 | $53,736 |
| Sector 23 | 1,832 | 256 | $64,797 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,578 | 67 | $72,488 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 16,713 jobs, 30.2 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.
Dallas County
What businesses operate in Dallas County
- Establishments, all industries2,521
- Employment at those establishments46,640
- Annual payroll$3.29 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.3
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.
Dallas County
What is being built in Dallas County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,513
- Declared construction value permitted$405.9 m
- Single family units authorised883
- Multifamily units authorised630
- Multifamily share of units41.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$268,303
- Units authorised per 1,000 households35.6
Multifamily is 41.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dallas County
How much SBA lending happens in Dallas County
- 7(a) approvals recorded106
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$40.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$383,607
- Median 7(a) approval$237,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$994,600
- Largest single approval$2,814,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,186
- Jobs per approval11.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active43
- Distinct industries receiving approvals55
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter82
- Franchise loans24
- Franchise share of approvals22.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Chiropractors (8)
- Most active lenderLincoln Savings Bank (14)
- 504 approvals recorded48
- 504 gross approval dollars$44.3 m
- Average 504 approval$922,875
- Median 504 approval$681,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval12.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.6
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (37)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$85.0 m
The average approval of $383,607 sits well above the median of $237,000, 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 6.6 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.
Dallas County
Do SBA loans in Dallas County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded18
- Paid in full17
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.6 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure73
- Status: Cancelled9
- Status: Paid in full17
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 18 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dallas County
Which parts of Dallas County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending16
- Waukee, approvals44
- West Des Moines, approvals19
- ADEL, approvals13
- PERRY, approvals8
- URBANDALE, approvals7
- Clive, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Waukee | 44 | $21,007,200 |
| West Des Moines | 19 | $7,953,600 |
| ADEL | 13 | $4,267,000 |
| PERRY | 8 | $2,802,600 |
| URBANDALE | 7 | $984,900 |
| Clive | 3 | $691,000 |
| Dallas Center | 2 | $1,250,000 |
| VAN METER | 2 | $500,000 |
Waukee accounts for 44 approvals against 19 in West Des Moines. 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.
Dallas County
How big is Dallas County
- Land area588 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties24th of 99
- Width, east to west25.3 mi
- Height, north to south24.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land184
- Establishments per square mile4.29
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 Dallas 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 Dallas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population107,968
- Households42,471
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$102,379
- Median age36.1
Common questions
Dallas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dallas County, Iowa?
107,968, in 42,471 households, ranking 6th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dallas County growing?
The population has grown 15.65 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,387 births against 651 deaths, with net migration of 2,998. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dallas County?
$102,379. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $355,600, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,311 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dallas County?
2,521 establishments, employing 46,640 people with an annual payroll of $3.29 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Dallas County?
Average annual pay is $76,316, or $1,468 a week, across 55,258 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dallas County?
106 7(a) approvals totalling $40.7 m since FY2020, across 43 lenders, with a median approval of $237,000, plus 48 504 approvals worth $44.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Dallas County get paid back?
Of the 18 loans that have reached a final outcome, 17 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Dallas County?
1,513 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $405.9 m. Multifamily was 41.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dallas 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 Dallas County come from?
The largest single origin is Dallas County Non-migrants, with 37,688 households. Arriving households report an average income of $79,519 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 Dallas 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 Dallas 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.