Dakota County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Dakota County, Nebraska has a population of 21,354 across 264 square miles, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.42 bn in 2024, 427 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dakota County
How many people live in Dakota County
- Population21,354
- Households7,459
- Average household size2.86
- Median household income$70,329
- Median age32.5
- Median gross rent$1,069 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$185,700
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over12,976
- Population under 186,297
- Share under 1829.5 percent
- Population 65 and over2,742
- Share 65 and over12.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,315
- Civilian labor force11,079
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over73.6 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties16th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1802nd
Dakota County is the 16th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 29.5 percent against 12.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dakota County
Is Dakota County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.16 percent
- Census 2020 base population21,586
- Births, 2024423
- Deaths, 2024213
- Natural change, 2024210
- Net domestic migration, 2024-333
- Net international migration, 2024119
- Total net migration, 2024-214
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,415
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2253rd
The county has lost 1.16 percent of its population 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.
Dakota County
Where people moving to Dakota County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving546
- People arriving, from those returns984
- Adjusted gross income arriving$23.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$42,234
- Largest single originDakota County Non-migrants (8,148 households)
- Largest single destination (8,148 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota County Non-migrants | 8,148 | 17,659 | $510.2 m |
| Woodbury County | 256 | 475 | $11.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 183 | 310 | $6.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 82 | 130 | $3.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 65 | 123 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 59 | 113 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 42 | 67 | $1.5 m |
| Douglas County | 22 | 30 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dakota 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.
Dakota County
What the Dakota County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.42 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.35 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years50.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1123rd
- GDP per resident$113,301
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 50.5 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.
Dakota County
Who employs people in Dakota County
- Covered employment, annual average13,726
- Establishments reporting504
- Average annual pay$59,490
- Average weekly wage$1,144
- Sector 31-33, employment5,593
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,401
- Sector 48-49, employment2,004
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$65,170
- Sector 44-45, employment896
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,824
- Sector 52, employment829
- Sector 52, average annual pay$86,163
- Sector 72, employment697
- Sector 23, employment610
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 5,593 | 33 | $64,401 |
| Sector 48-49 | 2,004 | 34 | $65,170 |
| Sector 44-45 | 896 | 64 | $30,824 |
| Sector 52 | 829 | 19 | $86,163 |
| Sector 72 | 697 | 52 | $21,789 |
| Sector 23 | 610 | 58 | $74,060 |
| Sector 62 | 605 | 57 | $50,929 |
| Sector 56 | 407 | 20 | $59,459 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,593 jobs, 40.7 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.
Dakota County
What businesses operate in Dakota County
- Establishments, all industries427
- Employment at those establishments12,034
- Annual payroll$694.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.0
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.
Dakota County
What is being built in Dakota County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202432
- Declared construction value permitted$10.7 m
- Single family units authorised32
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$334,294
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dakota County
How much SBA lending happens in Dakota County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$610,180
- Median 7(a) approval$625,900
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,043,000
- Largest single approval$1,043,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)48
- Jobs per approval9.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countCar Washes (2)
- Most active lenderFirst Bank & Trust (2)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 504 approval$383,500
- Median 504 approval$381,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals38.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.1 m
The average approval of $610,180 sits close to the median of $625,900, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 40.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Dakota County
Do SBA loans in Dakota County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Dakota County
Which parts of Dakota County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- South Sioux City, approvals4
- DAKOTA CITY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| South Sioux City | 4 | $3,025,900 |
| DAKOTA CITY | 1 | $25,000 |
South Sioux City accounts for 4 approvals against 1 in DAKOTA CITY. 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.
Dakota County
How big is Dakota County
- Land area264 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties92nd of 93
- Width, east to west19.3 mi
- Height, north to south17 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land81
- Establishments per square mile1.62
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 Dakota 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 Dakota County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population21,354
- Households7,459
- Average household size2.86
- Median household income$70,329
- Median age32.5
Common questions
Dakota County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dakota County, Nebraska?
21,354, in 7,459 households, ranking 16th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dakota County growing?
The population has fallen 1.16 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 423 births against 213 deaths, with net migration of -214. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dakota County?
$70,329. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $185,700, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,069 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dakota County?
427 establishments, employing 12,034 people with an annual payroll of $694.6 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 Dakota County?
Average annual pay is $59,490, or $1,144 a week, across 13,726 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dakota County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $625,900, plus 8 504 approvals worth $3.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Dakota County?
32 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $10.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dakota 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 Dakota County come from?
The largest single origin is Dakota County Non-migrants, with 8,148 households. Arriving households report an average income of $42,234 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 Dakota 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 Dakota 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.