Story County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Story County, Iowa has a population of 100,466 across 573 square miles, up 4.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.79 bn in 2024, 2,162 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 64 7(a) approvals worth $22.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Story County
How many people live in Story County
- Population100,466
- Households38,904
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$69,685
- Median age26.9
- Median gross rent$1,018 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$258,700
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher54.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over53,152
- Population under 1816,276
- Share under 1816.2 percent
- Population 65 and over13,275
- Share 65 and over13.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6470,915
- Civilian labor force57,404
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.2 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties8th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents619th
Story County is the 8th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 16.2 percent against 13.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Story County
Is Story County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.02 percent
- Census 2020 base population98,534
- Births, 2024842
- Deaths, 2024606
- Natural change, 2024236
- Net domestic migration, 2024-536
- Net international migration, 20241,289
- Total net migration, 2024753
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-303
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents684th
The county has grown 4.02 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.
Story County
Where people moving to Story County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,003
- People arriving, from those returns4,681
- Adjusted gross income arriving$167.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,800
- Largest single originStory County Non-migrants (29,889 households)
- Largest single destination (29,889 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story County Non-migrants | 29,889 | 59,390 | $2.92 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,077 | 1,689 | $67.1 m |
| Polk County | 570 | 950 | $32.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 462 | 677 | $27.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 450 | 617 | $21.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 303 | 497 | $16.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 230 | 395 | $17.3 m |
| Boone County | 194 | 308 | $10.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Story 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.
Story County
What the Story County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.79 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.31 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.6 percent
- GDP change over five years32.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents539th
- GDP per resident$77,540
Output grew 6.6 percent in the latest year and 32.1 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.
Story County
Who employs people in Story County
- Covered employment, annual average47,549
- Establishments reporting3,066
- Average annual pay$62,615
- Average weekly wage$1,204
- Sector 44-45, employment5,213
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,142
- Sector 31-33, employment5,082
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$74,821
- Sector 72, employment4,647
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,282
- Sector 62, employment4,501
- Sector 62, average annual pay$61,279
- Sector 54, employment2,456
- Sector 23, employment1,917
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 5,213 | 286 | $32,142 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,082 | 104 | $74,821 |
| Sector 72 | 4,647 | 261 | $20,282 |
| Sector 62 | 4,501 | 285 | $61,279 |
| Sector 54 | 2,456 | 521 | $110,766 |
| Sector 23 | 1,917 | 209 | $71,124 |
| Sector 56 | 1,813 | 174 | $44,608 |
| Sector 81 | 1,133 | 217 | $49,237 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,213 jobs, 11.0 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.
Story County
What businesses operate in Story County
- Establishments, all industries2,162
- Employment at those establishments33,500
- Annual payroll$1.88 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.5
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.
Story County
What is being built in Story County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024198
- Declared construction value permitted$72.0 m
- Single family units authorised152
- Multifamily units authorised46
- Multifamily share of units23.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$363,626
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.1
Multifamily is 23.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Story County
How much SBA lending happens in Story County
- 7(a) approvals recorded64
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$22.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$356,650
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$674,000
- Largest single approval$4,400,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)619
- Jobs per approval9.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals38
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer4.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter50
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals7.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (10)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (10)
- 504 approvals recorded27
- 504 gross approval dollars$15.3 m
- Average 504 approval$568,000
- Median 504 approval$281,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.1
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (23)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$38.2 m
The average approval of $356,650 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 4.7 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.
Story County
Do SBA loans in Story County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full13
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans13.3 percent
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure34
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Story County
Which parts of Story County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- Ames, approvals42
- Roland, approvals6
- Huxley, approvals5
- SLATER, approvals5
- NEVADA, approvals3
- STORY CITY, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Ames | 42 | $13,446,800 |
| Roland | 6 | $4,402,300 |
| Huxley | 5 | $790,000 |
| SLATER | 5 | $2,164,700 |
| NEVADA | 3 | $545,900 |
| STORY CITY | 2 | $1,295,900 |
| GILBERT | 1 | $180,000 |
Ames accounts for 42 approvals against 6 in Roland. 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.
Story County
How big is Story County
- Land area573 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties42nd of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land175
- Establishments per square mile3.77
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 Story 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 Story County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population100,466
- Households38,904
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$69,685
- Median age26.9
Common questions
Story County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Story County, Iowa?
100,466, in 38,904 households, ranking 8th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Story County growing?
The population has grown 4.02 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 842 births against 606 deaths, with net migration of 753. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Story County?
$69,685. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $258,700, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,018 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Story County?
2,162 establishments, employing 33,500 people with an annual payroll of $1.88 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 Story County?
Average annual pay is $62,615, or $1,204 a week, across 47,549 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Story County?
64 7(a) approvals totalling $22.8 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 27 504 approvals worth $15.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Story County get paid back?
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 13.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Story County?
198 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $72.0 m. Multifamily was 23.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Story 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 Story County come from?
The largest single origin is Story County Non-migrants, with 29,889 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,800 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 Story 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 Story 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.