Fayette County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Fayette County, Iowa has a population of 19,288 across 731 square miles, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.07 bn in 2024, 524 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $1.1 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Fayette County
How many people live in Fayette County
- Population19,288
- Households8,342
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$60,165
- Median age43.9
- Median gross rent$881 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$136,800
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,485
- Population under 184,123
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,424
- Share 65 and over22.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,741
- Civilian labor force9,461
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.4 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties36th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1924th
Fayette County is the 36th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.9 percent against 21.4 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.
Fayette County
Is Fayette County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.85 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,513
- Births, 2024213
- Deaths, 2024238
- Natural change, 2024-25
- Net domestic migration, 2024-97
- Net international migration, 202436
- Total net migration, 2024-61
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-176
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2461st
The county has lost 1.85 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Fayette County
Where people moving to Fayette County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving444
- People arriving, from those returns840
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,126
- Largest single originFayette County Non-migrants (7,145 households)
- Largest single destination (7,145 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County Non-migrants | 7,145 | 14,668 | $483.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 136 | 242 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 114 | 235 | $6.1 m |
| Buchanan County | 56 | 117 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 52 | 107 | $2.8 m |
| Black Hawk County | 39 | 57 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 38 | 73 | $2.0 m |
| Clayton County | 30 | 56 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Fayette 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.
Fayette County
What the Fayette County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.07 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.01 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.7 percent
- GDP change over five years42.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties51st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1789th
- GDP per resident$55,734
Output grew 6.7 percent in the latest year and 42.7 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.
Fayette County
Who employs people in Fayette County
- Covered employment, annual average6,964
- Establishments reporting680
- Average annual pay$48,847
- Average weekly wage$939
- Sector 31-33, employment907
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,726
- Sector 44-45, employment765
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,827
- Sector 72, employment418
- Sector 72, average annual pay$13,823
- Sector 23, employment394
- Sector 23, average annual pay$73,312
- Sector 42, employment385
- Sector 81, employment236
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 907 | 24 | $65,726 |
| Sector 44-45 | 765 | 76 | $27,827 |
| Sector 72 | 418 | 43 | $13,823 |
| Sector 23 | 394 | 59 | $73,312 |
| Sector 42 | 385 | 52 | $67,669 |
| Sector 81 | 236 | 42 | $45,769 |
| Sector 52 | 180 | 51 | $58,205 |
| Sector 56 | 114 | 23 | $44,327 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 907 jobs, 13.0 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.
Fayette County
What businesses operate in Fayette County
- Establishments, all industries524
- Employment at those establishments5,706
- Annual payroll$259.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.2
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.
Fayette County
What is being built in Fayette County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202411
- Declared construction value permitted$3.3 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units18.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$300,772
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.3
Multifamily is 18.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fayette County
How much SBA lending happens in Fayette County
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$136,538
- Median 7(a) approval$157,500
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$275,700
- Largest single approval$275,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)57
- Jobs per approval7.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term119 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals12.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFlorists (2)
- Most active lenderBank Iowa (3)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 504 approval$308,900
- Median 504 approval$374,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.4
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals44.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.2 m
The average approval of $136,538 sits close to the median of $157,500, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 12.5 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.
Fayette County
Do SBA loans in Fayette County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Fayette County
Which parts of Fayette County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- OELWEIN, approvals3
- West Union, approvals2
- WAUCOMA, approvals1
- Oewlein, approvals1
- Clermont, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| OELWEIN | 3 | $254,000 |
| West Union | 2 | $348,000 |
| WAUCOMA | 1 | $34,600 |
| Oewlein | 1 | $275,700 |
| Clermont | 1 | $180,000 |
OELWEIN accounts for 3 approvals against 2 in West Union. 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.
Fayette County
How big is Fayette County
- Land area731 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties7th of 99
- Width, east to west24.2 mi
- Height, north to south30.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land26
- Establishments per square mile0.72
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 Fayette 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 Fayette County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population19,288
- Households8,342
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$60,165
- Median age43.9
Common questions
Fayette County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fayette County, Iowa?
19,288, in 8,342 households, ranking 36th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fayette County growing?
The population has fallen 1.85 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 213 births against 238 deaths, with net migration of -61. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fayette County?
$60,165. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,800, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $881 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Fayette County?
524 establishments, employing 5,706 people with an annual payroll of $259.0 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 Fayette County?
Average annual pay is $48,847, or $939 a week, across 6,964 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fayette County?
8 7(a) approvals totalling $1.1 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $157,500, plus 10 504 approvals worth $3.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Fayette County?
11 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.3 m. Multifamily was 18.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fayette 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 Fayette County come from?
The largest single origin is Fayette County Non-migrants, with 7,145 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,126 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 Fayette 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 Fayette 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.