Dickinson County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Dickinson County, Iowa has a population of 17,990 across 381 square miles, up 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.53 bn in 2024, 784 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 23 7(a) approvals worth $10.4 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dickinson County
How many people live in Dickinson County
- Population17,990
- Households8,845
- Average household size2.03
- Median household income$75,432
- Median age48.7
- Median gross rent$922 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$270,700
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,520
- Population under 183,429
- Share under 1819.1 percent
- Population 65 and over5,079
- Share 65 and over28.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,482
- Civilian labor force9,648
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.3 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties39th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1989th
Dickinson County is the 39th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 28.2 percent against 19.1 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.
Dickinson County
Is Dickinson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.54 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,708
- Births, 2024146
- Deaths, 2024198
- Natural change, 2024-52
- Net domestic migration, 202495
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 2024125
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024525
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents996th
The county has grown 2.54 percent 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.
Dickinson County
Where people moving to Dickinson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving598
- People arriving, from those returns1,017
- Adjusted gross income arriving$59.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$99,324
- Largest single originDickinson County Non-migrants (7,339 households)
- Largest single destination (7,339 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County Non-migrants | 7,339 | 14,582 | $773.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 245 | 430 | $29.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 176 | 299 | $19.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 131 | 218 | $18.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 59 | 127 | $7.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 55 | 85 | $4.2 m |
| Clay County | 50 | 77 | $2.2 m |
| Emmet County | 38 | 72 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dickinson 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.
Dickinson County
What the Dickinson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.53 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.6 percent
- GDP change over five years48.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1501st
- GDP per resident$85,004
Output grew 9.6 percent in the latest year and 48.5 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.
Dickinson County
Who employs people in Dickinson County
- Covered employment, annual average10,008
- Establishments reporting958
- Average annual pay$46,626
- Average weekly wage$897
- Sector 31-33, employment1,563
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$57,731
- Sector 44-45, employment1,499
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,506
- Sector 72, employment1,452
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,415
- Sector 56, employment939
- Sector 56, average annual pay$36,856
- Sector 62, employment773
- Sector 23, employment535
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,563 | 42 | $57,731 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,499 | 122 | $36,506 |
| Sector 72 | 1,452 | 100 | $23,415 |
| Sector 56 | 939 | 66 | $36,856 |
| Sector 62 | 773 | 70 | $50,198 |
| Sector 23 | 535 | 110 | $63,166 |
| Sector 71 | 353 | 27 | $24,921 |
| Sector 42 | 272 | 44 | $75,188 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,563 jobs, 15.6 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.
Dickinson County
What businesses operate in Dickinson County
- Establishments, all industries784
- Employment at those establishments7,749
- Annual payroll$372.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents43.6
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.
Dickinson County
What is being built in Dickinson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024292
- Declared construction value permitted$84.7 m
- Single family units authorised261
- Multifamily units authorised31
- Multifamily share of units10.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$290,020
- Units authorised per 1,000 households33.0
Multifamily is 10.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dickinson County
How much SBA lending happens in Dickinson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded23
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$451,800
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$37,000
- 90th percentile approval$823,000
- Largest single approval$2,800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)261
- Jobs per approval11.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals13.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPaint and Wallpaper Stores (3)
- Most active lenderBank Midwest (9)
- 504 approvals recorded41
- 504 gross approval dollars$19.2 m
- Average 504 approval$467,610
- Median 504 approval$315,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval4.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.7
- Most active CDCDakota Business Finance (19)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals35.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$29.6 m
The average approval of $451,800 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 17.4 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.
Dickinson County
Do SBA loans in Dickinson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full6
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure17
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.
Dickinson County
Which parts of Dickinson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Spirit Lake, approvals12
- ARNOLDS PARK, approvals5
- Milford, approvals3
- OKOBOJI, approvals2
- THURSTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Lake | 12 | $4,153,300 |
| ARNOLDS PARK | 5 | $232,000 |
| Milford | 3 | $3,174,100 |
| OKOBOJI | 2 | $372,000 |
| THURSTON | 1 | $2,460,000 |
Spirit Lake accounts for 12 approvals against 5 in ARNOLDS PARK. 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.
Dickinson County
How big is Dickinson County
- Land area381 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties99th of 99
- Width, east to west23.8 mi
- Height, north to south17 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land47
- Establishments per square mile2.06
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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population17,990
- Households8,845
- Average household size2.03
- Median household income$75,432
- Median age48.7
Common questions
Dickinson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dickinson County, Iowa?
17,990, in 8,845 households, ranking 39th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dickinson County growing?
The population has grown 2.54 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 146 births against 198 deaths, with net migration of 125. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dickinson County?
$75,432. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $270,700, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $922 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dickinson County?
784 establishments, employing 7,749 people with an annual payroll of $372.4 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 Dickinson County?
Average annual pay is $46,626, or $897 a week, across 10,008 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dickinson County?
23 7(a) approvals totalling $10.4 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 41 504 approvals worth $19.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Dickinson County?
292 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $84.7 m. Multifamily was 10.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dickinson 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 Dickinson County come from?
The largest single origin is Dickinson County Non-migrants, with 7,339 households. Arriving households report an average income of $99,324 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 Dickinson 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 Dickinson 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.