Mills County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Mills County, Iowa has a population of 14,568 across 437 square miles, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $645.3 m in 2024, 331 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $1.5 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Mills County
How many people live in Mills County
- Population14,568
- Households5,394
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$90,753
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$959 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$237,800
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,243
- Population under 183,326
- Share under 1822.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,921
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,321
- Civilian labor force7,069
- Unemployment rate2.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.9 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties53rd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2181st
Mills County is the 53rd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.8 percent against 20.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mills County
Is Mills County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.48 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,503
- Births, 2024130
- Deaths, 2024191
- Natural change, 2024-61
- Net domestic migration, 2024133
- Net international migration, 20247
- Total net migration, 2024140
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024426
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1340th
The county has grown 1.48 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.
Mills County
Where people moving to Mills County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving413
- People arriving, from those returns773
- Adjusted gross income arriving$28.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$69,726
- Largest single originMills County Non-migrants (5,315 households)
- Largest single destination (5,315 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mills County Non-migrants | 5,315 | 11,648 | $520.6 m |
| Pottawattamie County | 90 | 169 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 88 | 162 | $5.2 m |
| Douglas County | 78 | 140 | $5.9 m |
| Sarpy County | 70 | 150 | $6.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 54 | 101 | $3.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 54 | 80 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 34 | 82 | $2.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Mills 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.
Mills County
What the Mills County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$645.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$644.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.1 percent
- GDP change over five years14.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties77th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2219th
- GDP per resident$44,296
Output grew 0.1 percent in the latest year and 14.2 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.
Mills County
Who employs people in Mills County
- Covered employment, annual average3,361
- Establishments reporting458
- Average annual pay$55,050
- Average weekly wage$1,059
- Sector 44-45, employment388
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,708
- Sector 31-33, employment236
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$79,668
- Sector 23, employment215
- Sector 23, average annual pay$72,676
- Sector 72, employment210
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,116
- Sector 42, employment200
- Sector 56, employment141
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 388 | 37 | $31,708 |
| Sector 31-33 | 236 | 12 | $79,668 |
| Sector 23 | 215 | 54 | $72,676 |
| Sector 72 | 210 | 19 | $17,116 |
| Sector 42 | 200 | 33 | $109,920 |
| Sector 56 | 141 | 32 | $60,217 |
| Sector 54 | 135 | 54 | $77,750 |
| Sector 52 | 105 | 23 | $73,271 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 388 jobs, 11.5 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.
Mills County
What businesses operate in Mills County
- Establishments, all industries331
- Employment at those establishments2,291
- Annual payroll$116.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.7
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.
Mills County
What is being built in Mills County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202440
- Declared construction value permitted$11.6 m
- Single family units authorised40
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$290,571
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mills County
How much SBA lending happens in Mills County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$221,357
- Median 7(a) approval$127,700
- 10th percentile approval$29,000
- 90th percentile approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$500,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)96
- Jobs per approval13.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 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 shorter6
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals28.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (2)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank Nebraska (2)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 504 approval$718,250
- Median 504 approval$515,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval8.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.5
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals63.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.4 m
The average approval of $221,357 sits well above the median of $127,700, 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 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.
Mills County
Do SBA loans in Mills County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Paid in full1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Mills County
Which parts of Mills County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- GLENWOOD, approvals4
- MALVERN, approvals1
- EMERSON, approvals1
- Pacific Junction, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| GLENWOOD | 4 | $1,342,800 |
| MALVERN | 1 | $29,000 |
| EMERSON | 1 | $50,000 |
| Pacific Junction | 1 | $127,700 |
GLENWOOD accounts for 4 approvals against 1 in MALVERN. 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.
Mills County
How big is Mills County
- Land area437 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties79th of 99
- Width, east to west25.2 mi
- Height, north to south17.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land33
- Establishments per square mile0.76
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 Mills 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 Mills County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,568
- Households5,394
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$90,753
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Mills County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mills County, Iowa?
14,568, in 5,394 households, ranking 53rd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mills County growing?
The population has grown 1.48 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 130 births against 191 deaths, with net migration of 140. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mills County?
$90,753. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,800, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $959 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mills County?
331 establishments, employing 2,291 people with an annual payroll of $116.2 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 Mills County?
Average annual pay is $55,050, or $1,059 a week, across 3,361 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mills County?
7 7(a) approvals totalling $1.5 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $127,700, plus 4 504 approvals worth $2.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mills County?
40 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mills 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 Mills County come from?
The largest single origin is Mills County Non-migrants, with 5,315 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,726 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 Mills 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 Mills 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.