Clearwater County, Idaho: commercial real estate data.
Clearwater County, Idaho had an estimated 9,151 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,730, across 2,457 square miles. County output reached $474.1 m in 2024, 246 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $174,900 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Clearwater County
How many people live in Clearwater County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,012
- Households3,636
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$60,000
- Median age52.2
- Median gross rent$875 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$268,200
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,169
- Population under 181,341
- Share under 1814.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,614
- Share 65 and over29.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,057
- Civilian labor force3,725
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over48.6 percent
- Rank by population among Idaho counties31st of 44
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2560th of 3,222
Clearwater County is the 31st largest of 44 Idaho counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 29.0 percent against 14.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Clearwater County
Is Clearwater County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,151
- Census 2020 base population8,730
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.82 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-41
- Births, 202465
- Deaths, 2024149
- Natural change, 2024-84
- Net domestic migration, 202439
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 202442
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024684
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents557th of 3,144
The county has grown 4.82 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Clearwater County
Where are people moving to Clearwater County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving275
- People arriving, from those returns527
- Tax returns filed by households leaving227
- Net household movement48
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$71,745
- Average income of a leaving household$47,621
- Largest single originNez Perce County (41 households)
- Largest single destinationNez Perce County (46 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nez Perce County | 41 | 77 | $1.8 m |
Households arriving report $24,124 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Nez Perce County, 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.
Clearwater County
What is the Clearwater County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$474.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$480.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.4 percent
- GDP change over five years27.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Idaho areas BEA publishes35th of 44
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2437th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$52,613
Output grew -1.4 percent in the latest year and 27.5 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.
Clearwater County
Employment by industry in Clearwater County
- Covered employment, annual average2,721
- Establishments reporting357
- Average annual pay$50,553
- Average weekly wage$972
- Manufacturing, employment383
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,522
- Retail trade, employment243
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,067
- Construction, employment169
- Construction, average annual pay$53,092
- Finance and insurance, employment46
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$49,239
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment43
- Other services, except public administration, employment30
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 383 | 22 | $52,522 |
| Retail trade | 243 | 34 | $33,067 |
| Construction | 169 | 47 | $53,092 |
| Finance and insurance | 46 | 15 | $49,239 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 43 | 22 | $92,313 |
| Other services, except public administration | 30 | 17 | $52,337 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 29 | 7 | $65,667 |
| Wholesale trade | 22 | 11 | $45,321 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 383 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Clearwater County
How many businesses are in Clearwater County?
- Establishments, all industries246
- Employment at those establishments1,939
- Annual payroll$95.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Clearwater County
Building permits in Clearwater County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202446
- Declared construction value permitted$7.6 m
- Single family units authorized46
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$166,248
- Units authorized per 1,000 households12.7
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clearwater County
SBA loans in Clearwater County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$174,900
- Average 7(a) approval$58,300
- Median 7(a) approval$69,900
- Largest single approval$80,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval1.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$308,000
- Average 504 approval$308,000
- Median 504 approval$308,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$482,900
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.
Clearwater County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Clearwater County
Do SBA loans in Clearwater County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clearwater County
SBA lending by place in Clearwater County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Orofino, approvals2
- Elk River, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Orofino | 2 | $149,900 |
| Elk River | 1 | $25,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Clearwater County
How large is Clearwater County?
- Land area2,457 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Idaho counties10th of 44
- Width, east to west88.3 mi
- Height, north to south46.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.10
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.
Clearwater County
Flood risk in Clearwater County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Clearwater County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 160046
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate75.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Clearwater County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Clearwater County (community 160046), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Clearwater County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 75.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Clearwater 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 Clearwater County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,012
- Households3,636
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$60,000
- Median age52.2
Common questions
Clearwater County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clearwater County, Idaho?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,151 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,012, in 3,636 households, ranking 31st of 44 Idaho counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clearwater County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.82 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,730, to 9,151 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 65 births against 149 deaths, with net migration of 42. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clearwater County?
$60,000. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $268,200, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $875 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Clearwater County?
246 establishments, employing 1,939 people with an annual payroll of $95.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Clearwater County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 383 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,721 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,553, or $972 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clearwater County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $174,900 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $69,900, plus 1 504 approvals worth $308,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Clearwater County?
46 housing units were authorized 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 Clearwater 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 Clearwater County come from?
The largest single origin is Nez Perce County, with 41 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,745 against $47,621 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Clearwater 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 Clearwater County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Clearwater County
Cities and places in Clearwater.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Clearwater County. All 4 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orofino | city | 3,260 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Pierce | city | 360 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weippe | city | 320 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elk River | city | 124 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
Nearby