O'Brien County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
O'Brien County, Iowa has a population of 14,126 across 573 square miles, up 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.25 bn in 2024, 488 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
O'Brien County
How many people live in O'Brien County
- Population14,126
- Households5,809
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$68,356
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$868 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$173,100
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,643
- Population under 183,446
- Share under 1824.4 percent
- Population 65 and over2,989
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,691
- Civilian labor force7,221
- Unemployment rate1.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.6 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties56th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2215th
O'Brien County is the 56th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.4 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
O'Brien County
Is O'Brien County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,180
- Births, 2024167
- Deaths, 2024166
- Natural change, 20241
- Net domestic migration, 202474
- Net international migration, 2024121
- Total net migration, 2024195
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-111
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1624th
The county has grown 0.56 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.
O'Brien County
Where people moving to O'Brien County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving328
- People arriving, from those returns643
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,930
- Largest single originO'Brien County Non-migrants (5,368 households)
- Largest single destination (5,368 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Brien County Non-migrants | 5,368 | 11,542 | $436.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 97 | 199 | $4.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 91 | 168 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 66 | 121 | $3.3 m |
| Sioux County | 64 | 123 | $3.6 m |
| Osceola County | 29 | 70 | $1.5 m |
| Clay County | 25 | 48 | $1.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 25 | 47 | $1.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is O'Brien 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.
O'Brien County
What the O'Brien County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.25 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.14 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.8 percent
- GDP change over five years41.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties37th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1666th
- GDP per resident$88,506
Output grew 9.8 percent in the latest year and 41.4 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.
O'Brien County
Who employs people in O'Brien County
- Covered employment, annual average6,603
- Establishments reporting626
- Average annual pay$48,407
- Average weekly wage$931
- Sector 62, employment1,150
- Sector 62, average annual pay$45,348
- Sector 31-33, employment790
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,009
- Sector 44-45, employment736
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,747
- Sector 42, employment572
- Sector 42, average annual pay$69,110
- Sector 72, employment386
- Sector 11, employment265
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,150 | 61 | $45,348 |
| Sector 31-33 | 790 | 21 | $67,009 |
| Sector 44-45 | 736 | 73 | $27,747 |
| Sector 42 | 572 | 56 | $69,110 |
| Sector 72 | 386 | 31 | $14,509 |
| Sector 11 | 265 | 44 | $59,050 |
| Sector 52 | 252 | 43 | $74,264 |
| Sector 23 | 230 | 55 | $53,497 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,150 jobs, 17.4 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.
O'Brien County
What businesses operate in O'Brien County
- Establishments, all industries488
- Employment at those establishments5,332
- Annual payroll$228.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents34.5
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.
O'Brien County
What is being built in O'Brien County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$4.0 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$449,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
O'Brien County
How much SBA lending happens in O'Brien County
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$524,167
- Median 7(a) approval$331,100
- 10th percentile approval$35,300
- 90th percentile approval$1,510,000
- Largest single approval$1,510,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)54
- Jobs per approval9.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSign Manufacturing (2)
- Most active lenderNorthwest Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.1 m
- Average 504 approval$890,125
- Median 504 approval$791,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.9
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (8)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals42.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.3 m
The average approval of $524,167 sits well above the median of $331,100, 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. 33.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
O'Brien County
Do SBA loans in O'Brien County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- 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.
O'Brien County
Which parts of O'Brien County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- SHELDON, approvals3
- HARTLEY, approvals2
- Sanborn, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SHELDON | 3 | $2,460,000 |
| HARTLEY | 2 | $353,900 |
| Sanborn | 1 | $331,100 |
SHELDON accounts for 3 approvals against 2 in HARTLEY. 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.
O'Brien County
How big is O'Brien County
- Land area573 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties41st of 99
- Width, east to west23.9 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land25
- Establishments per square mile0.85
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 O'Brien 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 O'Brien County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,126
- Households5,809
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$68,356
- Median age39.5
Common questions
O'Brien County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in O'Brien County, Iowa?
14,126, in 5,809 households, ranking 56th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is O'Brien County growing?
The population has grown 0.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 167 births against 166 deaths, with net migration of 195. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in O'Brien County?
$68,356. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $173,100, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $868 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in O'Brien County?
488 establishments, employing 5,332 people with an annual payroll of $228.2 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 O'Brien County?
Average annual pay is $48,407, or $931 a week, across 6,603 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in O'Brien County?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $331,100, plus 8 504 approvals worth $7.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in O'Brien County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for O'Brien 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 O'Brien County come from?
The largest single origin is O'Brien County Non-migrants, with 5,368 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,930 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 O'Brien 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 O'Brien 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.