Shelby County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Shelby County, Iowa has a population of 11,778 across 591 square miles, up 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.05 bn in 2024, 384 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $3.3 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Shelby County
How many people live in Shelby County
- Population11,778
- Households4,882
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$72,738
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$783 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$164,000
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,186
- Population under 182,699
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,724
- Share 65 and over23.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,355
- Civilian labor force5,899
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.0 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties65th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2369th
Shelby County is the 65th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.1 percent against 22.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Shelby County
Is Shelby County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.61 percent
- Census 2020 base population11,749
- Births, 2024110
- Deaths, 2024165
- Natural change, 2024-55
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1
- Net international migration, 202456
- Total net migration, 202455
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024112
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1616th
The county has grown 0.61 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.
Shelby County
Where people moving to Shelby County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving294
- People arriving, from those returns527
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,616
- Largest single originShelby County Non-migrants (4,616 households)
- Largest single destination (4,616 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County Non-migrants | 4,616 | 9,688 | $389.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 111 | 183 | $5.9 m |
| Pottawattamie County | 65 | 129 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 63 | 105 | $3.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 37 | 67 | $2.0 m |
| Douglas County | 34 | 68 | $2.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 26 | 38 | $1.1 m |
| Harrison County | 21 | 42 | $822,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Shelby 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.
Shelby County
What the Shelby County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.05 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.05 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.5 percent
- GDP change over five years50.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties52nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1809th
- GDP per resident$89,236
Output grew 0.5 percent in the latest year and 50.1 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.
Shelby County
Who employs people in Shelby County
- Covered employment, annual average5,460
- Establishments reporting444
- Average annual pay$51,072
- Average weekly wage$982
- Sector 48-49, employment876
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$59,885
- Sector 31-33, employment762
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,542
- Sector 44-45, employment454
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,718
- Sector 72, employment321
- Sector 72, average annual pay$14,737
- Sector 52, employment244
- Sector 51, employment181
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 48-49 | 876 | 32 | $59,885 |
| Sector 31-33 | 762 | 23 | $62,542 |
| Sector 44-45 | 454 | 36 | $31,718 |
| Sector 72 | 321 | 28 | $14,737 |
| Sector 52 | 244 | 46 | $74,061 |
| Sector 51 | 181 | 10 | $44,588 |
| Sector 23 | 150 | 27 | $49,837 |
| Sector 11 | 132 | 17 | $55,240 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 876 jobs, 16.0 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.
Shelby County
What businesses operate in Shelby County
- Establishments, all industries384
- Employment at those establishments5,049
- Annual payroll$272.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.6
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.
Shelby County
What is being built in Shelby County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$2.6 m
- Single family units authorised6
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$425,001
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Shelby County
How much SBA lending happens in Shelby County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$662,180
- Median 7(a) approval$305,000
- 10th percentile approval$67,700
- 90th percentile approval$2,533,200
- Largest single approval$2,533,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)105
- Jobs per approval21.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- 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 shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSporting Goods Stores (3)
- Most active lenderMidstates Bank, National Association (4)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$303,400
- Median 504 approval$351,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval3.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.9
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.8 m
The average approval of $662,180 sits well above the median of $305,000, 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 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.
Shelby County
Do SBA loans in Shelby County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Shelby County
Which parts of Shelby County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Harlan, approvals4
- Earling, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Harlan | 4 | $3,243,200 |
| Earling | 1 | $67,700 |
Harlan accounts for 4 approvals against 1 in Earling. 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.
Shelby County
How big is Shelby County
- Land area591 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties23rd of 99
- Width, east to west26.8 mi
- Height, north to south24.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land20
- Establishments per square mile0.65
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 Shelby 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 Shelby County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population11,778
- Households4,882
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$72,738
- Median age44.3
Common questions
Shelby County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Shelby County, Iowa?
11,778, in 4,882 households, ranking 65th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Shelby County growing?
The population has grown 0.61 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 110 births against 165 deaths, with net migration of 55. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Shelby County?
$72,738. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $164,000, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $783 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Shelby County?
384 establishments, employing 5,049 people with an annual payroll of $272.7 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 Shelby County?
Average annual pay is $51,072, or $982 a week, across 5,460 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Shelby County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $3.3 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $305,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $1.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Shelby County?
6 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Shelby 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 Shelby County come from?
The largest single origin is Shelby County Non-migrants, with 4,616 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,616 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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.