Palo Alto County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Palo Alto County, Iowa has a population of 8,863 across 564 square miles, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $796.3 m in 2024, 272 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $1.3 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Palo Alto County
How many people live in Palo Alto County
- Population8,863
- Households3,782
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$72,781
- Median age41.9
- Median gross rent$638 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$123,200
- Home value to household income1.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income10.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,049
- Population under 182,044
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over1,970
- Share 65 and over22.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,849
- Civilian labor force4,763
- Unemployment rate2.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.8 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties82nd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2576th
Palo Alto County is the 82nd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 1.7 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 22.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Palo Alto County
Is Palo Alto County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.13 percent
- Census 2020 base population9,001
- Births, 2024103
- Deaths, 2024145
- Natural change, 2024-42
- Net domestic migration, 202433
- Net international migration, 202412
- Total net migration, 202445
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-60
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2533rd
The county has lost 2.13 percent of its population 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.
Palo Alto County
Where people moving to Palo Alto County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving199
- People arriving, from those returns313
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,412
- Largest single originPalo Alto County Non-migrants (3,367 households)
- Largest single destination (3,367 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto County Non-migrants | 3,367 | 6,988 | $255.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 104 | 164 | $5.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 39 | 56 | $1.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 39 | 56 | $1.6 m |
| Clay County | 35 | 63 | $1.6 m |
| Kossuth County | 21 | 30 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Palo Alto 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.
Palo Alto County
What the Palo Alto County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$796.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$708.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202412.4 percent
- GDP change over five years68.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties63rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2031st
- GDP per resident$89,845
Output grew 12.4 percent in the latest year and 68.7 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.
Palo Alto County
Who employs people in Palo Alto County
- Covered employment, annual average3,615
- Establishments reporting336
- Average annual pay$47,406
- Average weekly wage$912
- Sector 31-33, employment487
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,968
- Sector 44-45, employment402
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,440
- Sector 72, employment379
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,116
- Sector 11, employment259
- Sector 11, average annual pay$53,798
- Sector 23, employment214
- Sector 42, employment125
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 487 | 18 | $67,968 |
| Sector 44-45 | 402 | 35 | $28,440 |
| Sector 72 | 379 | 24 | $24,116 |
| Sector 11 | 259 | 34 | $53,798 |
| Sector 23 | 214 | 30 | $64,457 |
| Sector 42 | 125 | 20 | $69,558 |
| Sector 52 | 102 | 22 | $77,497 |
| Sector 48-49 | 47 | 18 | $36,480 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 487 jobs, 13.5 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.
Palo Alto County
What businesses operate in Palo Alto County
- Establishments, all industries272
- Employment at those establishments2,881
- Annual payroll$136.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.7
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.
Palo Alto County
What is being built in Palo Alto County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202410
- Declared construction value permitted$3.3 m
- Single family units authorised10
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$330,565
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Palo Alto County
How much SBA lending happens in Palo Alto County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$256,000
- Median 7(a) approval$50,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$995,000
- Largest single approval$995,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)18
- Jobs per approval3.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFarm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (1)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (2)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.0 m
- Average 504 approval$708,143
- Median 504 approval$474,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval13.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.0
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals41.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.2 m
The average approval of $256,000 sits well above the median of $50,000, 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.
Palo Alto County
Do SBA loans in Palo Alto County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full1
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Palo Alto County
Which parts of Palo Alto County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- EMMETSBURG, approvals4
- Graettinger, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| EMMETSBURG | 4 | $285,000 |
| Graettinger | 1 | $995,000 |
EMMETSBURG accounts for 4 approvals against 1 in Graettinger. 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.
Palo Alto County
How big is Palo Alto County
- Land area564 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties58th of 99
- Width, east to west23.8 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land16
- Establishments per square mile0.48
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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population8,863
- Households3,782
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$72,781
- Median age41.9
Common questions
Palo Alto County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Palo Alto County, Iowa?
8,863, in 3,782 households, ranking 82nd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Palo Alto County growing?
The population has fallen 2.13 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 103 births against 145 deaths, with net migration of 45. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Palo Alto County?
$72,781. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,200, which is 1.7 times income, and median gross rent is $638 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Palo Alto County?
272 establishments, employing 2,881 people with an annual payroll of $136.8 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 Palo Alto County?
Average annual pay is $47,406, or $912 a week, across 3,615 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Palo Alto County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $1.3 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $50,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $5.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Palo Alto County?
10 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto County come from?
The largest single origin is Palo Alto County Non-migrants, with 3,367 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,412 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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto 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.