Decatur County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Decatur County, Iowa has a population of 7,759 across 532 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $277.6 m in 2024, 146 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $1.6 m.
101 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Decatur County
How many people live in Decatur County
- Population7,759
- Households3,055
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$59,044
- Median age36.1
- Median gross rent$611 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$113,900
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,779
- Population under 181,721
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over1,639
- Share 65 and over21.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,399
- Civilian labor force3,874
- Unemployment rate1.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.2 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties86th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2668th
Decatur County is the 86th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 21.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Decatur County
Is Decatur County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.43 percent
- Census 2020 base population7,767
- Births, 202478
- Deaths, 2024116
- Natural change, 2024-38
- Net domestic migration, 2024-109
- Net international migration, 202422
- Total net migration, 2024-87
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-37
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2337th
The county has lost 1.43 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Decatur County
Where people moving to Decatur County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving189
- People arriving, from those returns389
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$46,899
- Largest single originDecatur County Non-migrants (2,434 households)
- Largest single destination (2,434 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County Non-migrants | 2,434 | 5,300 | $143.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 84 | 175 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 71 | 145 | $3.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 50 | 108 | $2.0 m |
| Clarke County | 34 | 69 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 21 | 37 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Decatur 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.
Decatur County
What the Decatur County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$277.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$268.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.5 percent
- GDP change over five years25.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties97th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2750th
- GDP per resident$35,775
Output grew 3.5 percent in the latest year and 25.6 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.
Decatur County
Who employs people in Decatur County
- Covered employment, annual average2,269
- Establishments reporting224
- Average annual pay$42,983
- Average weekly wage$827
- Sector 44-45, employment289
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$26,579
- Sector 48-49, employment208
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$30,685
- Sector 42, employment107
- Sector 42, average annual pay$47,133
- Sector 31-33, employment84
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$63,941
- Sector 23, employment73
- Sector 54, employment21
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 289 | 28 | $26,579 |
| Sector 48-49 | 208 | 12 | $30,685 |
| Sector 42 | 107 | 18 | $47,133 |
| Sector 31-33 | 84 | 8 | $63,941 |
| Sector 23 | 73 | 20 | $44,982 |
| Sector 54 | 21 | 8 | $27,397 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 289 jobs, 12.7 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.
Decatur County
What businesses operate in Decatur County
- Establishments, all industries146
- Employment at those establishments1,744
- Annual payroll$54.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.8
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.
Decatur County
What is being built in Decatur County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$641,300
- Single family units authorised2
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,650
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Decatur County
How much SBA lending happens in Decatur County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$812,500
- Median 7(a) approval$1,375,000
- 10th percentile approval$250,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,375,000
- Largest single approval$1,375,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term180 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 shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChicken Egg Production (2)
- Most active lenderFirst Service Bank (2)
The average approval of $812,500 sits close to the median of $1,375,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 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.
Decatur County
Do SBA loans in Decatur County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Decatur County
How big is Decatur County
- Land area532 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties64th of 99
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south22.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land15
- Establishments per square mile0.27
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population7,759
- Households3,055
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$59,044
- Median age36.1
Common questions
Decatur County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Decatur County, Iowa?
7,759, in 3,055 households, ranking 86th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Decatur County growing?
The population has fallen 1.43 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 78 births against 116 deaths, with net migration of -87. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Decatur County?
$59,044. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $113,900, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $611 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Decatur County?
146 establishments, employing 1,744 people with an annual payroll of $54.4 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 Decatur County?
Average annual pay is $42,983, or $827 a week, across 2,269 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Decatur County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $1.6 m since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $1,375,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Decatur County?
2 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $641,300. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Decatur 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 Decatur County come from?
The largest single origin is Decatur County Non-migrants, with 2,434 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,899 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 Decatur 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 Decatur 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.