Black Hawk County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Black Hawk County, Iowa had an estimated 132,348 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 131,142, across 566 square miles. County output reached $10.04 bn in 2024, 3,105 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 132 7(a) approvals worth $50.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Black Hawk County
How many people live in Black Hawk County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024131,049
- Households54,563
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$66,417
- Median age35.7
- Median gross rent$989 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$188,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over83,288
- Population under 1828,744
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over23,138
- Share 65 and over17.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6479,167
- Civilian labor force70,124
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.5 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties5th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included499th of 3,222
Black Hawk County is the 5th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 17.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Black Hawk County
Is Black Hawk County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024132,348
- Census 2020 base population131,142
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.92 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20241,169
- Births, 20241,615
- Deaths, 20241,319
- Natural change, 2024296
- Net domestic migration, 2024-223
- Net international migration, 20241,098
- Total net migration, 2024875
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,212
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1507th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.92 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Black Hawk County
Where are people moving to Black Hawk County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,546
- People arriving, from those returns4,144
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,012
- Net household movement-466
- Adjusted gross income arriving$125.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-68.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$49,227
- Average income of a leaving household$64,253
- Largest single originBremer County (186 households)
- Largest single destinationPolk County (240 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremer County | 186 | 300 | $9.0 m |
| Linn County | 133 | 227 | $4.9 m |
| Polk County | 119 | 190 | $6.1 m |
| Buchanan County | 107 | 181 | $5.1 m |
| Grundy County | 90 | 130 | $4.3 m |
| Butler County | 72 | 99 | $3.1 m |
| Johnson County | 72 | 100 | $3.1 m |
| Tama County | 60 | 92 | $4.0 m |
Households arriving report $15,026 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Bremer 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.
Black Hawk County
What is the Black Hawk County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$10.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$9.98 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years21.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes6th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes437th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$76,607
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 21.1 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.
Black Hawk County
Employment by industry in Black Hawk County
- Covered employment, annual average70,886
- Establishments reporting3,947
- Average annual pay$59,631
- Average weekly wage$1,147
- Manufacturing, employment13,298
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$87,134
- Health care and social assistance, employment10,852
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$59,120
- Retail trade, employment8,506
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,090
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,080
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,630
- Transportation and warehousing, employment3,671
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,920
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 13,298 | 167 | $87,134 |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,852 | 596 | $59,120 |
| Retail trade | 8,506 | 472 | $35,090 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,080 | 323 | $20,630 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,671 | 143 | $55,797 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,920 | 264 | $43,899 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,761 | 263 | $49,200 |
| Construction | 2,578 | 266 | $67,786 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 13,298 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Black Hawk County
How many businesses are in Black Hawk County?
- Establishments, all industries3,105
- Employment at those establishments63,693
- Annual payroll$3.61 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Black Hawk County
Building permits in Black Hawk County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024289
- Declared construction value permitted$74.6 m
- Single family units authorized166
- Multifamily units authorized123
- Multifamily share of units42.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$258,298
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.3
Multifamily is 42.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Black Hawk County
SBA loans in Black Hawk County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded132
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$50.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$380,355
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$45,950
- 90th percentile approval$853,100
- Largest single approval$4,478,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,683
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active25
- Distinct industries receiving approvals76
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter110
- Franchise loans17
- Franchise share of approvals12.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (11)
- Most active lenderFarmers State Bank (48)
- 504 approvals recorded68
- 504 gross approval dollars$32.2 m
- Average 504 approval$473,088
- Median 504 approval$300,500
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval8.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.7
- Most active CDCBlack Hawk Economic Development, Inc. (60)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$82.4 m
The average approval of $380,355 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 6.8 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.
Black Hawk County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Black Hawk County
Do SBA loans in Black Hawk County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded46
- Paid in full44
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans4.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full44
- Status: Exempt from disclosure69
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed5
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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.
Black Hawk County
SBA lending by place in Black Hawk County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending8
- Cedar Falls, approvals67
- Waterloo, approvals48
- Hudson, approvals8
- La Porte City, approvals3
- Dunkerton, approvals3
- Janesville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls | 67 | $23,066,100 |
| Waterloo | 48 | $22,429,400 |
| Hudson | 8 | $3,290,500 |
| La Porte City | 3 | $656,500 |
| Dunkerton | 3 | $388,400 |
| Janesville | 1 | $269,800 |
| Gilbertville | 1 | $61,100 |
| Evansdale | 1 | $45,000 |
Cedar Falls accounts for 67 approvals against 48 in Waterloo. 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.
Black Hawk County
How large is Black Hawk County?
- Land area566 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties57th of 99
- Width, east to west25 mi
- Height, north to south23.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land232
- Establishments per square mile5.49
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.
Black Hawk County
Flood risk in Black Hawk County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Black Hawk County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190535
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County (community 190535), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Black Hawk 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024131,049
- Households54,563
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$66,417
- Median age35.7
Common questions
Black Hawk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 132,348 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 131,049, in 54,563 households, ranking 5th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Black Hawk County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.92 percent since the 2020 census base of 131,142, to 132,348 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,615 births against 1,319 deaths, with net migration of 875. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Black Hawk County?
$66,417. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $188,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $989 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Black Hawk County?
3,105 establishments, employing 63,693 people with an annual payroll of $3.61 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Black Hawk County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 13,298 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 70,886 jobs at an average annual pay of $59,631, or $1,147 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Black Hawk County?
132 7(a) approvals totaling $50.2 m since FY2020, across 25 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 68 504 approvals worth $32.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Black Hawk County get paid back?
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 44 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 4.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Black Hawk County?
289 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $74.6 m. Multifamily was 42.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County come from?
The largest single origin is Bremer County, with 186 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,227 against $64,253 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk 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.
Black Hawk County
Cities and places in Black Hawk.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Black Hawk County. All 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo | city | 67,008 | 48 | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Falls | city | 40,888 | 67 | Wholly in this county |
| Evansdale | city | 4,518 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Hudson | city | 2,699 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Jesup | city | 2,561 | None recorded | 7.7 percent here, 92.3 percent Buchanan County |
| La Porte City | city | 2,071 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Elk Run Heights | city | 964 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Janesville | city | 917 | 1 | 24.6 percent here, 75.4 percent Bremer County |
| Raymond | city | 899 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dunkerton | city | 821 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Gilbertville | city | 761 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Washburn | CDP | 714 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby