Hardin County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Hardin County, Iowa has a population of 16,639 across 569 square miles, down 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.14 bn in 2024, 499 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $4.4 m.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Hardin County
How many people live in Hardin County
- Population16,639
- Households7,038
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$65,069
- Median age45.4
- Median gross rent$795 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$122,500
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,229
- Population under 183,157
- Share under 1819.0 percent
- Population 65 and over3,968
- Share 65 and over23.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,514
- Civilian labor force8,558
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.5 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties44th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2061st
Hardin County is the 44th 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 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.8 percent against 19.0 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.
Hardin County
Is Hardin County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.44 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,875
- Births, 2024155
- Deaths, 2024247
- Natural change, 2024-92
- Net domestic migration, 2024-43
- Net international migration, 202476
- Total net migration, 202433
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-199
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2613th
The county has lost 2.44 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.
Hardin County
Where people moving to Hardin County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving411
- People arriving, from those returns706
- Adjusted gross income arriving$18.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,163
- Largest single originHardin County Non-migrants (6,268 households)
- Largest single destination (6,268 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County Non-migrants | 6,268 | 12,873 | $473.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 152 | 237 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 96 | 169 | $4.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 43 | 69 | $2.3 m |
| Polk County | 40 | 65 | $2.3 m |
| Story County | 40 | 71 | $1.8 m |
| Marshall County | 30 | 64 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 30 | 66 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hardin 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.
Hardin County
What the Hardin County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.14 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.12 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.9 percent
- GDP change over five years47.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties44th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1734th
- GDP per resident$68,641
Output grew 1.9 percent in the latest year and 47.0 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.
Hardin County
Who employs people in Hardin County
- Covered employment, annual average6,483
- Establishments reporting650
- Average annual pay$54,065
- Average weekly wage$1,040
- Sector 44-45, employment802
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,279
- Sector 23, employment554
- Sector 23, average annual pay$62,245
- Sector 31-33, employment448
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,717
- Sector 42, employment435
- Sector 42, average annual pay$88,300
- Sector 72, employment358
- Sector 52, employment258
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 802 | 61 | $33,279 |
| Sector 23 | 554 | 74 | $62,245 |
| Sector 31-33 | 448 | 21 | $68,717 |
| Sector 42 | 435 | 49 | $88,300 |
| Sector 72 | 358 | 36 | $15,957 |
| Sector 52 | 258 | 40 | $74,143 |
| Sector 54 | 154 | 42 | $63,763 |
| Sector 81 | 149 | 46 | $47,918 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 802 jobs, 12.4 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.
Hardin County
What businesses operate in Hardin County
- Establishments, all industries499
- Employment at those establishments4,845
- Annual payroll$236.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.0
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.
Hardin County
What is being built in Hardin County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202428
- Declared construction value permitted$9.3 m
- Single family units authorised28
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$332,537
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hardin County
How much SBA lending happens in Hardin County
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$726,333
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,150,000
- Largest single approval$3,150,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)47
- Jobs per approval7.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMeat Processed from Carcasses (2)
- Most active lenderGreen Belt Bank & Trust (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 504 approval$2,995,000
- Median 504 approval$2,995,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval17.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved5.7
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$7.4 m
The average approval of $726,333 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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 16.7 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.
Hardin County
Do SBA loans in Hardin County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
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.
Hardin County
Which parts of Hardin County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- IOWA FALLS, approvals4
- Ackley, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| IOWA FALLS | 4 | $1,113,000 |
| Ackley | 2 | $3,245,000 |
IOWA FALLS accounts for 4 approvals against 2 in Ackley. 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.
Hardin County
How big is Hardin County
- Land area569 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties54th of 99
- Width, east to west25.4 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile0.88
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 Hardin 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 Hardin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,639
- Households7,038
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$65,069
- Median age45.4
Common questions
Hardin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hardin County, Iowa?
16,639, in 7,038 households, ranking 44th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hardin County growing?
The population has fallen 2.44 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 155 births against 247 deaths, with net migration of 33. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hardin County?
$65,069. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $122,500, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $795 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hardin County?
499 establishments, employing 4,845 people with an annual payroll of $236.1 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 Hardin County?
Average annual pay is $54,065, or $1,040 a week, across 6,483 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hardin County?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $4.4 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $3.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hardin County?
28 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hardin 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 Hardin County come from?
The largest single origin is Hardin County Non-migrants, with 6,268 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,163 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 Hardin 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 Hardin 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.