Van Buren County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Van Buren County, Iowa has a population of 7,241 across 485 square miles, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $295.0 m in 2024, 149 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $7.5 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Van Buren County
How many people live in Van Buren County
- Population7,241
- Households2,896
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$61,161
- Median age44.7
- Median gross rent$622 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$114,600
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,042
- Population under 181,709
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,707
- Share 65 and over23.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,825
- Civilian labor force3,341
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.4 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties90th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2720th
Van Buren County is the 90th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 23.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Van Buren County
Is Van Buren County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.21 percent
- Census 2020 base population7,202
- Births, 202496
- Deaths, 202483
- Natural change, 202413
- Net domestic migration, 2024-61
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-60
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-30
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1751st
The county has grown 0.21 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Van Buren County
Where people moving to Van Buren County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving137
- People arriving, from those returns248
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$42,263
- Largest single originVan Buren County Non-migrants (2,586 households)
- Largest single destination (2,586 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County Non-migrants | 2,586 | 5,692 | $157.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 77 | 128 | $3.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 31 | 59 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 31 | 59 | $1.8 m |
| Jefferson County | 29 | 61 | $905,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Van Buren 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.
Van Buren County
What the Van Buren County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$295.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$293.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.7 percent
- GDP change over five years28.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties96th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2708th
- GDP per resident$40,740
Output grew 0.7 percent in the latest year and 28.6 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.
Van Buren County
Who employs people in Van Buren County
- Covered employment, annual average1,923
- Establishments reporting224
- Average annual pay$46,260
- Average weekly wage$890
- Sector 31-33, employment501
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,137
- Sector 44-45, employment216
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,911
- Sector 42, employment104
- Sector 42, average annual pay$54,694
- Sector 23, employment57
- Sector 23, average annual pay$43,374
- Sector 48-49, employment52
- Sector 52, employment51
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 501 | 14 | $53,137 |
| Sector 44-45 | 216 | 24 | $29,911 |
| Sector 42 | 104 | 18 | $54,694 |
| Sector 23 | 57 | 18 | $43,374 |
| Sector 48-49 | 52 | 15 | $73,407 |
| Sector 52 | 51 | 17 | $59,270 |
| Sector 54 | 49 | 11 | $33,400 |
| Sector 81 | 26 | 8 | $40,271 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 501 jobs, 26.1 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.
Van Buren County
What businesses operate in Van Buren County
- Establishments, all industries149
- Employment at those establishments1,389
- Annual payroll$65.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.6
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.
Van Buren County
What is being built in Van Buren County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$505,000
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$168,333
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Van Buren County
How much SBA lending happens in Van Buren County
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,249,317
- Median 7(a) approval$1,495,000
- 10th percentile approval$250,900
- 90th percentile approval$2,127,500
- Largest single approval$2,127,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)117
- Jobs per approval19.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term123 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countCreamery Butter Manufacturing (3)
- Most active lenderHills Bank and Trust Company (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$492,000
- Average 504 approval$492,000
- Median 504 approval$492,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.2
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$8.0 m
The average approval of $1,249,317 sits close to the median of $1,495,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 16.7 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.
Van Buren County
Do SBA loans in Van Buren County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Van Buren County
Which parts of Van Buren County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- MILTON, approvals3
- Douds, approvals2
- KEOSAUQUA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MILTON | 3 | $4,245,000 |
| Douds | 2 | $3,000,000 |
| KEOSAUQUA | 1 | $250,900 |
MILTON accounts for 3 approvals against 2 in Douds. 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.
Van Buren County
How big is Van Buren County
- Land area485 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties74th of 99
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south20.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land15
- Establishments per square mile0.31
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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population7,241
- Households2,896
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$61,161
- Median age44.7
Common questions
Van Buren County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Van Buren County, Iowa?
7,241, in 2,896 households, ranking 90th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Van Buren County growing?
The population has grown 0.21 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 96 births against 83 deaths, with net migration of -60. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Van Buren County?
$61,161. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $114,600, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $622 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Van Buren County?
149 establishments, employing 1,389 people with an annual payroll of $65.8 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 Van Buren County?
Average annual pay is $46,260, or $890 a week, across 1,923 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Van Buren County?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $7.5 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $1,495,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $492,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Van Buren County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $505,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Van Buren 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 Van Buren County come from?
The largest single origin is Van Buren County Non-migrants, with 2,586 households. Arriving households report an average income of $42,263 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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.