Freeborn County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Freeborn County, Minnesota has a population of 30,623 across 707 square miles, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.74 bn in 2024, 755 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 31 7(a) approvals worth $15.7 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Freeborn County
How many people live in Freeborn County
- Population30,623
- Households12,846
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$71,023
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$849 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$171,100
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,752
- Population under 186,664
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over7,157
- Share 65 and over23.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,802
- Civilian labor force15,175
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.3 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties36th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1458th
Freeborn County is the 36th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.4 percent against 21.8 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.
Freeborn County
Is Freeborn County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.85 percent
- Census 2020 base population30,885
- Births, 2024271
- Deaths, 2024410
- Natural change, 2024-139
- Net domestic migration, 202417
- Net international migration, 20245
- Total net migration, 202422
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-156
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2464th
The county has lost 1.85 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.
Freeborn County
Where people moving to Freeborn County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving566
- People arriving, from those returns1,007
- Adjusted gross income arriving$28.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,790
- Largest single originFreeborn County Non-migrants (12,244 households)
- Largest single destination (12,244 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeborn County Non-migrants | 12,244 | 24,382 | $849.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 198 | 368 | $10.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 145 | 253 | $7.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 103 | 195 | $5.1 m |
| Mower County | 71 | 117 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 49 | 93 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 46 | 80 | $2.2 m |
| Steele County | 38 | 78 | $2.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Freeborn 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.
Freeborn County
What the Freeborn County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.74 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.71 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.7 percent
- GDP change over five years34.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Minnesota counties36th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1400th
- GDP per resident$56,823
Output grew 1.7 percent in the latest year and 34.0 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.
Freeborn County
Who employs people in Freeborn County
- Covered employment, annual average11,963
- Establishments reporting832
- Average annual pay$53,099
- Average weekly wage$1,021
- Sector 31-33, employment2,596
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,782
- Sector 44-45, employment1,911
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,734
- Sector 62, employment1,615
- Sector 62, average annual pay$58,425
- Sector 72, employment1,077
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,016
- Sector 23, employment526
- Sector 81, employment414
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,596 | 52 | $61,782 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,911 | 114 | $38,734 |
| Sector 62 | 1,615 | 75 | $58,425 |
| Sector 72 | 1,077 | 75 | $19,016 |
| Sector 23 | 526 | 86 | $76,376 |
| Sector 81 | 414 | 74 | $34,304 |
| Sector 56 | 398 | 30 | $44,594 |
| Sector 52 | 330 | 45 | $85,267 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,596 jobs, 21.7 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.
Freeborn County
What businesses operate in Freeborn County
- Establishments, all industries755
- Employment at those establishments10,861
- Annual payroll$549.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.7
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.
Freeborn County
What is being built in Freeborn County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202416
- Declared construction value permitted$4.8 m
- Single family units authorised16
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$299,640
- 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.
Freeborn County
How much SBA lending happens in Freeborn County
- 7(a) approvals recorded31
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$15.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$505,271
- Median 7(a) approval$205,000
- 10th percentile approval$32,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,058,000
- Largest single approval$3,328,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)176
- Jobs per approval5.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals18
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter22
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals19.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (4)
- Most active lenderUnited Prairie Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded28
- 504 gross approval dollars$13.6 m
- Average 504 approval$485,036
- Median 504 approval$334,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval9.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.5
- Most active CDCAmplio Economic Development Corporation (12)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals52.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$29.2 m
The average approval of $505,271 sits well above the median of $205,000, 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 19.4 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.
Freeborn County
Do SBA loans in Freeborn County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full9
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure18
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Cancelled4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 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.
Freeborn County
Which parts of Freeborn County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- ALBERT LEA, approvals17
- CLARKS GROVE, approvals7
- CONGER, approvals3
- HARTLAND, approvals2
- Alden, approvals1
- GENEVA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ALBERT LEA | 17 | $7,939,000 |
| CLARKS GROVE | 7 | $2,131,600 |
| CONGER | 3 | $1,658,000 |
| HARTLAND | 2 | $300,700 |
| Alden | 1 | $3,328,500 |
| GENEVA | 1 | $305,600 |
ALBERT LEA accounts for 17 approvals against 7 in CLARKS GROVE. 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.
Freeborn County
How big is Freeborn County
- Land area707 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties41st of 87
- Width, east to west30 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land43
- Establishments per square mile1.07
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 Freeborn 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 Freeborn County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population30,623
- Households12,846
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$71,023
- Median age44.3
Common questions
Freeborn County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Freeborn County, Minnesota?
30,623, in 12,846 households, ranking 36th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Freeborn County growing?
The population has fallen 1.85 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 271 births against 410 deaths, with net migration of 22. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Freeborn County?
$71,023. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,100, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $849 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Freeborn County?
755 establishments, employing 10,861 people with an annual payroll of $549.2 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 Freeborn County?
Average annual pay is $53,099, or $1,021 a week, across 11,963 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Freeborn County?
31 7(a) approvals totalling $15.7 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $205,000, plus 28 504 approvals worth $13.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Freeborn County?
16 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Freeborn 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 Freeborn County come from?
The largest single origin is Freeborn County Non-migrants, with 12,244 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,790 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 Freeborn 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 Freeborn 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.