Des Moines County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Des Moines County, Iowa has a population of 38,487 across 416 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.92 bn in 2024, 1,065 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $9.4 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Des Moines County
How many people live in Des Moines County
- Population38,487
- Households17,178
- Average household size2.24
- Median household income$62,928
- Median age42.3
- Median gross rent$904 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$136,500
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over27,038
- Population under 188,560
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over8,180
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,747
- Civilian labor force19,168
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.0 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties16th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1235th
Des Moines County is the 16th 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 22.2 percent against 21.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Des Moines County
Is Des Moines County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.36 percent
- Census 2020 base population38,940
- Births, 2024425
- Deaths, 2024462
- Natural change, 2024-37
- Net domestic migration, 2024-73
- Net international migration, 2024164
- Total net migration, 202491
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-460
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2312th
The county has lost 1.36 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.
Des Moines County
Where people moving to Des Moines County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving838
- People arriving, from those returns1,398
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,671
- Largest single originDes Moines County Non-migrants (15,396 households)
- Largest single destination (15,396 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines County Non-migrants | 15,396 | 30,189 | $1.10 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 364 | 614 | $25.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 204 | 347 | $11.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 124 | 198 | $6.3 m |
| Lee County | 117 | 189 | $5.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 82 | 139 | $5.3 m |
| Henry County | 81 | 139 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 78 | 128 | $8.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Des Moines 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.
Des Moines County
What the Des Moines County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years26.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties15th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents995th
- GDP per resident$75,970
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 26.3 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.
Des Moines County
Who employs people in Des Moines County
- Covered employment, annual average19,833
- Establishments reporting1,405
- Average annual pay$52,718
- Average weekly wage$1,014
- Sector 31-33, employment4,073
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$63,660
- Sector 62, employment3,232
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,546
- Sector 44-45, employment2,610
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,372
- Sector 72, employment1,861
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,457
- Sector 23, employment856
- Sector 48-49, employment815
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 4,073 | 52 | $63,660 |
| Sector 62 | 3,232 | 204 | $68,546 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,610 | 176 | $33,372 |
| Sector 72 | 1,861 | 106 | $19,457 |
| Sector 23 | 856 | 93 | $65,289 |
| Sector 48-49 | 815 | 54 | $58,986 |
| Sector 71 | 636 | 20 | $27,102 |
| Sector 56 | 563 | 77 | $49,978 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,073 jobs, 20.5 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.
Des Moines County
What businesses operate in Des Moines County
- Establishments, all industries1,065
- Employment at those establishments18,107
- Annual payroll$877.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.7
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.
Des Moines County
What is being built in Des Moines County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202455
- Declared construction value permitted$11.5 m
- Single family units authorised15
- Multifamily units authorised40
- Multifamily share of units72.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$208,255
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.2
Multifamily is 72.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Des Moines County
How much SBA lending happens in Des Moines County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$671,393
- Median 7(a) approval$499,500
- 10th percentile approval$45,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,945,000
- Largest single approval$2,197,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)202
- Jobs per approval14.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals21.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (4)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (4)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 504 approval$817,500
- Median 504 approval$896,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval19.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.2
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$12.7 m
The average approval of $671,393 sits close to the median of $499,500, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 28.6 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.
Des Moines County
Do SBA loans in Des Moines County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full6
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 6 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.
Des Moines County
Which parts of Des Moines County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Burlington, approvals11
- West Burlington, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 11 | $6,844,500 |
| West Burlington | 3 | $2,555,000 |
Burlington accounts for 11 approvals against 3 in West Burlington. 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.
Des Moines County
How big is Des Moines County
- Land area416 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties93rd of 99
- Width, east to west24.4 mi
- Height, north to south26.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land93
- Establishments per square mile2.56
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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population38,487
- Households17,178
- Average household size2.24
- Median household income$62,928
- Median age42.3
Common questions
Des Moines County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Des Moines County, Iowa?
38,487, in 17,178 households, ranking 16th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Des Moines County growing?
The population has fallen 1.36 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 425 births against 462 deaths, with net migration of 91. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Des Moines County?
$62,928. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,500, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $904 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Des Moines County?
1,065 establishments, employing 18,107 people with an annual payroll of $877.5 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 Des Moines County?
Average annual pay is $52,718, or $1,014 a week, across 19,833 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Des Moines County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $9.4 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $499,500, plus 4 504 approvals worth $3.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Des Moines County?
55 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.5 m. Multifamily was 72.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Des Moines 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 Des Moines County come from?
The largest single origin is Des Moines County Non-migrants, with 15,396 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,671 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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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.