Hamilton County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Hamilton County, Iowa has a population of 14,886 across 577 square miles, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.12 bn in 2024, 367 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $5.9 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Hamilton County
How many people live in Hamilton County
- Population14,886
- Households6,434
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$72,432
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$877 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$156,400
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,339
- Population under 183,547
- Share under 1823.8 percent
- Population 65 and over3,157
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,182
- Civilian labor force7,713
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.0 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties51st of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2168th
Hamilton County is the 51st 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 23.8 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hamilton County
Is Hamilton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.22 percent
- Census 2020 base population15,039
- Births, 2024187
- Deaths, 2024192
- Natural change, 2024-5
- Net domestic migration, 2024-97
- Net international migration, 2024111
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-308
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2268th
The county has lost 1.22 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.
Hamilton County
Where people moving to Hamilton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving349
- People arriving, from those returns630
- Adjusted gross income arriving$18.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,986
- Largest single originHamilton County Non-migrants (5,608 households)
- Largest single destination (5,608 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County Non-migrants | 5,608 | 11,729 | $499.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 94 | 176 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 80 | 138 | $3.9 m |
| Story County | 61 | 107 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 43 | 84 | $2.1 m |
| Webster County | 39 | 76 | $1.5 m |
| Polk County | 31 | 54 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 26 | 41 | $1.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hamilton 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.
Hamilton County
What the Hamilton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.12 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.05 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.3 percent
- GDP change over five years59.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties47th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1752nd
- GDP per resident$75,003
Output grew 6.3 percent in the latest year and 59.6 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.
Hamilton County
Who employs people in Hamilton County
- Covered employment, annual average5,798
- Establishments reporting487
- Average annual pay$52,922
- Average weekly wage$1,018
- Sector 31-33, employment837
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,530
- Sector 44-45, employment736
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,852
- Sector 42, employment615
- Sector 42, average annual pay$94,502
- Sector 23, employment303
- Sector 23, average annual pay$54,131
- Sector 72, employment271
- Sector 52, employment190
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 837 | 28 | $62,530 |
| Sector 44-45 | 736 | 54 | $32,852 |
| Sector 42 | 615 | 38 | $94,502 |
| Sector 23 | 303 | 48 | $54,131 |
| Sector 72 | 271 | 27 | $15,790 |
| Sector 52 | 190 | 24 | $83,054 |
| Sector 56 | 121 | 24 | $41,876 |
| Sector 54 | 97 | 29 | $86,780 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 837 jobs, 14.4 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.
Hamilton County
What businesses operate in Hamilton County
- Establishments, all industries367
- Employment at those establishments4,559
- Annual payroll$248.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
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.
Hamilton County
What is being built in Hamilton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorised4
- Multifamily units authorised5
- Multifamily share of units55.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$204,167
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.4
Multifamily is 55.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hamilton County
How much SBA lending happens in Hamilton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$848,343
- Median 7(a) approval$337,500
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,440,000
- Largest single approval$3,440,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)148
- Jobs per approval21.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countIron Foundries (2)
- Most active lenderAvaila Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$305,000
- Average 504 approval$305,000
- Median 504 approval$305,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.2 m
The average approval of $848,343 sits well above the median of $337,500, 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 14.3 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.
Hamilton County
Do SBA loans in Hamilton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Hamilton County
Which parts of Hamilton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Webster City, approvals5
- ELLSWORTH, approvals1
- Kamrar, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Webster City | 5 | $5,450,900 |
| ELLSWORTH | 1 | $150,000 |
| Kamrar | 1 | $337,500 |
Webster City accounts for 5 approvals against 1 in ELLSWORTH. 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.
Hamilton County
How big is Hamilton County
- Land area577 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties34th of 99
- Width, east to west26 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land26
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,886
- Households6,434
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$72,432
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Hamilton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hamilton County, Iowa?
14,886, in 6,434 households, ranking 51st of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hamilton County growing?
The population has fallen 1.22 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 187 births against 192 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hamilton County?
$72,432. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $156,400, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $877 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hamilton County?
367 establishments, employing 4,559 people with an annual payroll of $248.8 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 Hamilton County?
Average annual pay is $52,922, or $1,018 a week, across 5,798 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hamilton County?
7 7(a) approvals totalling $5.9 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $337,500, plus 1 504 approvals worth $305,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hamilton County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.8 m. Multifamily was 55.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hamilton 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 Hamilton County come from?
The largest single origin is Hamilton County Non-migrants, with 5,608 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,986 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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.