Howard County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Howard County, Iowa has a population of 9,445 across 473 square miles, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $727.4 m in 2024, 270 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $409,000.
111 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Howard County
How many people live in Howard County
- Population9,445
- Households3,773
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$67,446
- Median age39.2
- Median gross rent$713 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$147,800
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,315
- Population under 182,441
- Share under 1825.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,932
- Share 65 and over20.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,072
- Civilian labor force4,746
- Unemployment rate1.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.8 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties79th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2533rd
Howard County is the 79th 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 25.8 percent against 20.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Howard County
Is Howard County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.19 percent
- Census 2020 base population9,473
- Births, 2024107
- Deaths, 2024106
- Natural change, 20241
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4
- Net international migration, 20247
- Total net migration, 20243
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-106
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2262nd
The county has lost 1.19 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Howard County
Where people moving to Howard County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving171
- People arriving, from those returns302
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,474
- Largest single originHoward County Non-migrants (3,748 households)
- Largest single destination (3,748 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County Non-migrants | 3,748 | 7,918 | $274.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 56 | 112 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 56 | 112 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 52 | 86 | $2.6 m |
| Winneshiek County | 40 | 60 | $1.8 m |
| Mitchell County | 23 | 44 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Howard 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.
Howard County
What the Howard County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$727.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$701.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years59.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties70th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2108th
- GDP per resident$77,010
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 59.1 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.
Howard County
Who employs people in Howard County
- Covered employment, annual average4,402
- Establishments reporting341
- Average annual pay$48,223
- Average weekly wage$927
- Sector 31-33, employment1,251
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$54,639
- Sector 44-45, employment455
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,526
- Sector 11, employment298
- Sector 11, average annual pay$45,439
- Sector 23, employment215
- Sector 23, average annual pay$60,480
- Sector 52, employment159
- Sector 42, employment153
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,251 | 23 | $54,639 |
| Sector 44-45 | 455 | 46 | $31,526 |
| Sector 11 | 298 | 18 | $45,439 |
| Sector 23 | 215 | 44 | $60,480 |
| Sector 52 | 159 | 23 | $70,899 |
| Sector 42 | 153 | 20 | $74,329 |
| Sector 81 | 96 | 16 | $60,059 |
| Sector 51 | 30 | 6 | $34,274 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,251 jobs, 28.4 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.
Howard County
What businesses operate in Howard County
- Establishments, all industries270
- Employment at those establishments3,350
- Annual payroll$155.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.6
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.
Howard County
What is being built in Howard County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20248
- Declared construction value permitted$2.9 m
- Single family units authorised8
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$360,625
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Howard County
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$409,000
- Average 7(a) approval$409,000
- Median 7(a) approval$409,000
- 10th percentile approval$409,000
- 90th percentile approval$409,000
- Largest single approval$409,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3
- Jobs per approval3.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term204 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHardware Stores (1)
- Most active lenderFirst National Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$463,000
- Average 504 approval$231,500
- Median 504 approval$344,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved25.9
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals33.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$872,000
The average approval of $409,000 sits close to the median of $409,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Howard County
Do SBA loans in Howard County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
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.
Howard County
How big is Howard County
- Land area473 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties75th of 99
- Width, east to west23.8 mi
- Height, north to south19.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land20
- Establishments per square mile0.57
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 Howard 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 Howard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population9,445
- Households3,773
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$67,446
- Median age39.2
Common questions
Howard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Howard County, Iowa?
9,445, in 3,773 households, ranking 79th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Howard County growing?
The population has fallen 1.19 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 107 births against 106 deaths, with net migration of 3. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Howard County?
$67,446. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,800, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $713 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Howard County?
270 establishments, employing 3,350 people with an annual payroll of $155.4 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 Howard County?
Average annual pay is $48,223, or $927 a week, across 4,402 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $409,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $409,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $463,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Howard County?
8 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Howard 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 Howard County come from?
The largest single origin is Howard County Non-migrants, with 3,748 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,474 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 Howard 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 Howard 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.