Marion County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Marion County, Iowa has a population of 33,642 across 555 square miles, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.88 bn in 2024, 859 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 25 7(a) approvals worth $5.7 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Marion County
How many people live in Marion County
- Population33,642
- Households13,316
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$78,680
- Median age39.9
- Median gross rent$884 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$233,000
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,422
- Population under 187,769
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over6,515
- Share 65 and over19.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,358
- Civilian labor force17,548
- Unemployment rate2.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.8 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties21st of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1378th
Marion County is the 21st largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 19.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Marion County
Is Marion County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.89 percent
- Census 2020 base population33,417
- Births, 2024327
- Deaths, 2024350
- Natural change, 2024-23
- Net domestic migration, 2024294
- Net international migration, 202460
- Total net migration, 2024354
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024715
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1204th
The county has grown 1.89 percent 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.
Marion County
Where people moving to Marion County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving850
- People arriving, from those returns1,602
- Adjusted gross income arriving$58.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$69,052
- Largest single originMarion County Non-migrants (12,330 households)
- Largest single destination (12,330 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County Non-migrants | 12,330 | 26,970 | $1.11 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 234 | 447 | $19.1 m |
| Polk County | 170 | 342 | $12.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 148 | 271 | $9.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 112 | 235 | $9.7 m |
| Mahaska County | 74 | 125 | $4.0 m |
| Jasper County | 67 | 123 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 65 | 124 | $4.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Marion 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.
Marion County
What the Marion County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.88 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.1 percent
- GDP change over five years25.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1008th
- GDP per resident$85,537
Output grew 0.1 percent in the latest year and 25.9 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.
Marion County
Who employs people in Marion County
- Covered employment, annual average19,680
- Establishments reporting1,062
- Average annual pay$63,553
- Average weekly wage$1,222
- Sector 31-33, employment8,599
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$84,313
- Sector 44-45, employment1,692
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,208
- Sector 72, employment1,154
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,960
- Sector 23, employment622
- Sector 23, average annual pay$67,386
- Sector 42, employment483
- Sector 81, employment409
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 8,599 | 58 | $84,313 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,692 | 118 | $30,208 |
| Sector 72 | 1,154 | 80 | $16,960 |
| Sector 23 | 622 | 96 | $67,386 |
| Sector 42 | 483 | 77 | $88,730 |
| Sector 81 | 409 | 82 | $38,772 |
| Sector 54 | 370 | 104 | $66,168 |
| Sector 56 | 370 | 54 | $53,315 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,599 jobs, 43.7 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.
Marion County
What businesses operate in Marion County
- Establishments, all industries859
- Employment at those establishments17,934
- Annual payroll$1.22 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.5
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.
Marion County
What is being built in Marion County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024107
- Declared construction value permitted$40.9 m
- Single family units authorised101
- Multifamily units authorised6
- Multifamily share of units5.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$382,088
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.0
Multifamily is 5.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Marion County
How much SBA lending happens in Marion County
- 7(a) approvals recorded25
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$227,708
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$1,509,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)200
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter18
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals4.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (4)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (6)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.5 m
- Average 504 approval$446,700
- Median 504 approval$465,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.9
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (8)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals71.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.2 m
The average approval of $227,708 sits well above the median of $100,000, 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 20.0 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.
Marion County
Do SBA loans in Marion County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure17
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Cancelled3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Marion County
Which parts of Marion County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Pella, approvals17
- Bussey, approvals3
- KNOXVILLE, approvals2
- PLEASANTVILLE, approvals1
- SWAN, approvals1
- JOHNSTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Pella | 17 | $4,898,900 |
| Bussey | 3 | $273,800 |
| KNOXVILLE | 2 | $25,000 |
| PLEASANTVILLE | 1 | $180,000 |
| SWAN | 1 | $190,000 |
| JOHNSTON | 1 | $125,000 |
Pella accounts for 17 approvals against 3 in Bussey. 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.
Marion County
How big is Marion County
- Land area555 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties61st of 99
- Width, east to west23.8 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land61
- Establishments per square mile1.55
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 Marion 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 Marion County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population33,642
- Households13,316
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$78,680
- Median age39.9
Common questions
Marion County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Marion County, Iowa?
33,642, in 13,316 households, ranking 21st of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Marion County growing?
The population has grown 1.89 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 327 births against 350 deaths, with net migration of 354. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Marion County?
$78,680. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $233,000, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $884 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Marion County?
859 establishments, employing 17,934 people with an annual payroll of $1.22 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 Marion County?
Average annual pay is $63,553, or $1,222 a week, across 19,680 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Marion County?
25 7(a) approvals totalling $5.7 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $4.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Marion County?
107 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $40.9 m. Multifamily was 5.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Marion 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 Marion County come from?
The largest single origin is Marion County Non-migrants, with 12,330 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,052 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 Marion 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 Marion 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.