Linn County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Linn County, Iowa has a population of 230,004 across 717 square miles, up 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $21.90 bn in 2024, 5,744 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 227 7(a) approvals worth $127.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Linn County
How many people live in Linn County
- Population230,004
- Households95,600
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$77,649
- Median age39.0
- Median gross rent$945 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$214,300
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over157,534
- Population under 1851,857
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over39,802
- Share 65 and over17.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64138,345
- Civilian labor force125,113
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.2 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties2nd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents309th
Linn County is the 2nd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.5 percent against 17.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Linn County
Is Linn County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.63 percent
- Census 2020 base population230,303
- Births, 20242,619
- Deaths, 20242,218
- Natural change, 2024401
- Net domestic migration, 2024263
- Net international migration, 20241,686
- Total net migration, 20241,949
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-4,381
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1608th
The county has grown 0.63 percent 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.
Linn County
Where people moving to Linn County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,771
- People arriving, from those returns7,826
- Adjusted gross income arriving$283.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,503
- Largest single originLinn County Non-migrants (89,023 households)
- Largest single destination (89,023 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County Non-migrants | 89,023 | 179,067 | $8.07 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,784 | 3,111 | $117.6 m |
| Johnson County | 772 | 1,172 | $47.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 673 | 1,131 | $38.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 563 | 986 | $41.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 418 | 759 | $30.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 349 | 568 | $18.0 m |
| Benton County | 246 | 405 | $11.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Linn 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.
Linn County
What the Linn County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$21.90 bn
- County GDP, 2023$21.04 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.1 percent
- GDP change over five years24.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents242nd
- GDP per resident$95,212
Output grew 4.1 percent in the latest year and 24.7 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.
Linn County
Who employs people in Linn County
- Covered employment, annual average125,917
- Establishments reporting7,760
- Average annual pay$67,613
- Average weekly wage$1,300
- Sector 31-33, employment18,530
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$105,172
- Sector 62, employment17,505
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,428
- Sector 44-45, employment12,504
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,758
- Sector 72, employment9,507
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,788
- Sector 23, employment7,795
- Sector 52, employment7,387
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 18,530 | 266 | $105,172 |
| Sector 62 | 17,505 | 993 | $61,428 |
| Sector 44-45 | 12,504 | 700 | $36,758 |
| Sector 72 | 9,507 | 536 | $21,788 |
| Sector 23 | 7,795 | 611 | $74,882 |
| Sector 52 | 7,387 | 535 | $103,442 |
| Sector 56 | 7,181 | 527 | $47,577 |
| Sector 54 | 5,911 | 1,092 | $97,432 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 18,530 jobs, 14.7 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.
Linn County
What businesses operate in Linn County
- Establishments, all industries5,744
- Employment at those establishments119,172
- Annual payroll$7.24 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.0
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.
Linn County
What is being built in Linn County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,024
- Declared construction value permitted$216.5 m
- Single family units authorised443
- Multifamily units authorised581
- Multifamily share of units56.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$211,473
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.7
Multifamily is 56.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Linn County
How much SBA lending happens in Linn County
- 7(a) approvals recorded227
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$127.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$559,430
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,785,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,868
- Jobs per approval17.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active50
- Distinct industries receiving approvals106
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter204
- Franchise loans33
- Franchise share of approvals14.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderFarmers and Merchants Savings Bank (36)
- 504 approvals recorded111
- 504 gross approval dollars$79.0 m
- Average 504 approval$711,297
- Median 504 approval$411,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.3
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (60)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals67.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$205.9 m
The average approval of $559,430 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 6.2 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.
Linn County
Do SBA loans in Linn County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded67
- Paid in full63
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full63
- Status: Exempt from disclosure130
- Status: Cancelled18
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed12
Of the 67 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Linn County
Which parts of Linn County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- CEDAR RAPIDS, approvals146
- Marion, approvals38
- HIAWATHA, approvals10
- Mount Vernon, approvals9
- Lisbon, approvals7
- Center Point, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CEDAR RAPIDS | 146 | $79,606,200 |
| Marion | 38 | $21,222,900 |
| HIAWATHA | 10 | $7,713,200 |
| Mount Vernon | 9 | $7,787,700 |
| Lisbon | 7 | $5,291,500 |
| Center Point | 5 | $4,156,000 |
| FAIRFAX | 4 | $280,000 |
| SPRINGVILLE | 3 | $194,500 |
CEDAR RAPIDS accounts for 146 approvals against 38 in Marion. 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.
Linn County
How big is Linn County
- Land area717 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties10th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land321
- Establishments per square mile8.01
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 Linn 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 Linn County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population230,004
- Households95,600
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$77,649
- Median age39.0
Common questions
Linn County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Linn County, Iowa?
230,004, in 95,600 households, ranking 2nd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Linn County growing?
The population has grown 0.63 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,619 births against 2,218 deaths, with net migration of 1,949. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Linn County?
$77,649. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $214,300, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $945 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Linn County?
5,744 establishments, employing 119,172 people with an annual payroll of $7.24 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Linn County?
Average annual pay is $67,613, or $1,300 a week, across 125,917 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Linn County?
227 7(a) approvals totalling $127.0 m since FY2020, across 50 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 111 504 approvals worth $79.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Linn County get paid back?
Of the 67 loans that have reached a final outcome, 63 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Linn County?
1,024 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $216.5 m. Multifamily was 56.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Linn 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 Linn County come from?
The largest single origin is Linn County Non-migrants, with 89,023 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,503 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 Linn 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 Linn 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.