Webster County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Webster County, Iowa has a population of 36,886 across 716 square miles, down 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.76 bn in 2024, 997 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $8.3 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Webster County
How many people live in Webster County
- Population36,886
- Households15,375
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$68,975
- Median age39.7
- Median gross rent$785 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$153,800
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,781
- Population under 187,885
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over7,323
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,678
- Civilian labor force18,773
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.7 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties18th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1289th
Webster County is the 18th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.4 percent against 19.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Webster County
Is Webster County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.24 percent
- Census 2020 base population36,998
- Births, 2024391
- Deaths, 2024445
- Natural change, 2024-54
- Net domestic migration, 202415
- Net international migration, 2024295
- Total net migration, 2024310
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-457
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1931st
The county has lost 0.24 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.
Webster County
Where people moving to Webster County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving838
- People arriving, from those returns1,346
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$39,414
- Largest single originWebster County Non-migrants (13,220 households)
- Largest single destination (13,220 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster County Non-migrants | 13,220 | 26,143 | $950.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 272 | 376 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 267 | 480 | $13.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 124 | 220 | $5.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 85 | 149 | $4.3 m |
| Polk County | 79 | 118 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 58 | 111 | $4.0 m |
| Calhoun County | 49 | 91 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Webster 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.
Webster County
What the Webster County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.76 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.70 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.2 percent
- GDP change over five years33.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Iowa counties17th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1039th
- GDP per resident$74,800
Output grew 2.2 percent in the latest year and 33.0 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.
Webster County
Who employs people in Webster County
- Covered employment, annual average17,547
- Establishments reporting1,198
- Average annual pay$56,709
- Average weekly wage$1,091
- Sector 31-33, employment2,619
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$79,805
- Sector 62, employment2,527
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,831
- Sector 44-45, employment2,304
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,177
- Sector 23, employment1,382
- Sector 23, average annual pay$71,545
- Sector 72, employment1,376
- Sector 48-49, employment1,120
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,619 | 55 | $79,805 |
| Sector 62 | 2,527 | 140 | $57,831 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,304 | 144 | $32,177 |
| Sector 23 | 1,382 | 115 | $71,545 |
| Sector 72 | 1,376 | 85 | $19,402 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,120 | 68 | $63,951 |
| Sector 56 | 466 | 61 | $55,879 |
| Sector 81 | 416 | 64 | $58,238 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,619 jobs, 14.9 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.
Webster County
What businesses operate in Webster County
- Establishments, all industries997
- Employment at those establishments16,146
- Annual payroll$792.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.0
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.
Webster County
What is being built in Webster County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202428
- Declared construction value permitted$7.6 m
- Single family units authorised28
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$272,541
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Webster County
How much SBA lending happens in Webster County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$595,986
- Median 7(a) approval$270,000
- 10th percentile approval$73,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,592,200
- Largest single approval$2,227,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)99
- Jobs per approval7.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countCommercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (2)
- Most active lenderHeartland Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded16
- 504 gross approval dollars$11.6 m
- Average 504 approval$725,563
- Median 504 approval$545,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval13.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.9
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (9)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals46.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$20.0 m
The average approval of $595,986 sits well above the median of $270,000, 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 14.3 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.
Webster County
Do SBA loans in Webster County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Cancelled1
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.
Webster County
Which parts of Webster County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- Fort Dodge, approvals6
- Moorland, approvals3
- SAINT JOHNS, approvals1
- DAYTON, approvals1
- VINCENT, approvals1
- Burnside, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Dodge | 6 | $5,980,100 |
| Moorland | 3 | $671,200 |
| SAINT JOHNS | 1 | $300,000 |
| DAYTON | 1 | $924,000 |
| VINCENT | 1 | $73,500 |
| Burnside | 1 | $245,000 |
| HARCOURT | 1 | $150,000 |
Fort Dodge accounts for 6 approvals against 3 in Moorland. 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.
Webster County
How big is Webster County
- Land area716 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties12th of 99
- Width, east to west26.1 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land52
- Establishments per square mile1.39
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 Webster 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 Webster County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population36,886
- Households15,375
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$68,975
- Median age39.7
Common questions
Webster County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Webster County, Iowa?
36,886, in 15,375 households, ranking 18th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Webster County growing?
The population has fallen 0.24 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 391 births against 445 deaths, with net migration of 310. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Webster County?
$68,975. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $153,800, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $785 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Webster County?
997 establishments, employing 16,146 people with an annual payroll of $792.0 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 Webster County?
Average annual pay is $56,709, or $1,091 a week, across 17,547 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Webster County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $8.3 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $270,000, plus 16 504 approvals worth $11.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Webster County?
28 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Webster 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 Webster County come from?
The largest single origin is Webster County Non-migrants, with 13,220 households. Arriving households report an average income of $39,414 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 Webster 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 Webster 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.