Boone County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Boone County, Iowa had an estimated 26,729 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,712, across 572 square miles. County output reached $1.29 bn in 2024, 603 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 23 7(a) approvals worth $12.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Boone County
How many people live in Boone County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202426,668
- Households10,936
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$83,531
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$845 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$212,400
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over19,121
- Population under 185,612
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over5,324
- Share 65 and over20.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,732
- Civilian labor force14,471
- Unemployment rate1.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.7 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties23rd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1591st of 3,222
Boone County is the 23rd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.0 percent against 20.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Boone County
Is Boone County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202426,729
- Census 2020 base population26,712
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.06 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024162
- Births, 2024280
- Deaths, 2024331
- Natural change, 2024-51
- Net domestic migration, 2024212
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024213
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024338
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1803rd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.06 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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.
Boone County
Where are people moving to Boone County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving770
- People arriving, from those returns1,307
- Tax returns filed by households leaving739
- Net household movement31
- Adjusted gross income arriving$47.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$62,199
- Average income of a leaving household$58,767
- Largest single originStory County (195 households)
- Largest single destinationStory County (194 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story County | 195 | 363 | $14.7 m |
| Polk County | 164 | 284 | $10.1 m |
| Dallas County | 55 | 90 | $3.7 m |
| Webster County | 25 | 41 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $3,432 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 Story 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.
Boone County
What is the Boone County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.29 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.36 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-4.9 percent
- GDP change over five years19.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes34th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1636th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$48,500
Output grew -4.9 percent in the latest year and 19.1 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.
Boone County
Employment by industry in Boone County
- Covered employment, annual average8,930
- Establishments reporting749
- Average annual pay$53,922
- Average weekly wage$1,037
- Retail trade, employment1,019
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,776
- Health care and social assistance, employment966
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$39,923
- Transportation and warehousing, employment773
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$65,501
- Construction, employment652
- Construction, average annual pay$72,230
- Accommodation and food services, employment558
- Manufacturing, employment483
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,019 | 71 | $34,776 |
| Health care and social assistance | 966 | 73 | $39,923 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 773 | 28 | $65,501 |
| Construction | 652 | 90 | $72,230 |
| Accommodation and food services | 558 | 43 | $18,720 |
| Manufacturing | 483 | 29 | $57,709 |
| Wholesale trade | 319 | 48 | $69,272 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 312 | 62 | $93,320 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,019 jobs, 11.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Boone County
How many businesses are in Boone County?
- Establishments, all industries603
- Employment at those establishments6,497
- Annual payroll$314.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.6
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.
Boone County
Building permits in Boone County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202475
- Declared construction value permitted$16.0 m
- Single family units authorized53
- Multifamily units authorized22
- Multifamily share of units29.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$212,940
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.9
Single-family homes are 70.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Boone County
SBA loans in Boone County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded23
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$12.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$535,461
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,440
- 90th percentile approval$1,991,440
- Largest single approval$2,857,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)289
- Jobs per approval12.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter18
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals8.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (3)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (10)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 504 approval$325,667
- Median 504 approval$325,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.1
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (6)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$15.2 m
The average approval of $535,461 sits well above the median of $100,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 21.7 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.
Boone County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Boone County
Do SBA loans in Boone County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure15
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 5 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.
Boone County
SBA lending by place in Boone County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Boone, approvals15
- Madrid, approvals2
- Ames, approvals2
- Luther, approvals1
- Perry, approvals1
- Polk City, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Boone | 15 | $8,973,700 |
| Madrid | 2 | $1,867,000 |
| Ames | 2 | $370,000 |
| Luther | 1 | $900,000 |
| Perry | 1 | $162,700 |
| Polk City | 1 | $27,200 |
| Ogden | 1 | $15,000 |
Boone accounts for 15 approvals against 2 in Madrid. 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.
Boone County
How large is Boone County?
- Land area572 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties44th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land47
- Establishments per square mile1.05
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.
Boone County
Flood risk in Boone County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Boone County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190846
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book10
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate90.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Boone 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 Boone County (community 190846), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Boone 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. 90.0 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 Boone 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 Boone County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202426,668
- Households10,936
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$83,531
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Boone County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Boone County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 26,729 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 26,668, in 10,936 households, ranking 23rd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Boone County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.06 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,712, to 26,729 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 280 births against 331 deaths, with net migration of 213. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Boone County?
$83,531. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $212,400, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $845 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Boone County?
603 establishments, employing 6,497 people with an annual payroll of $314.6 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 Boone County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,019 jobs, 11.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 8,930 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,922, or $1,037 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Boone County?
23 7(a) approvals totaling $12.3 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $2.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Boone County?
75 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $16.0 m. Multifamily was 29.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Boone 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 Boone County come from?
The largest single origin is Story County, with 195 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,199 against $58,767 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Boone 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 Boone 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.
Boone County
Cities and places in Boone.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Boone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone | city | 12,424 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Madrid | city | 2,808 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Ogden | city | 1,859 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Slater | city | 1,401 | None recorded | 25.1 percent here, 74.9 percent Story County |
| Woodward | city | 977 | None recorded | 34.1 percent here, 65.9 percent Dallas County |
| Sheldahl | city | 361 | None recorded | 31.0 percent here, 37.4 percent Polk County, 31.6 percent Story County |
| Boxholm | city | 168 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Luther | city | 159 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Fraser | city | 148 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pilot Mound | city | 132 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Beaver | city | 51 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Berkley | city | 5 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 4 of the county's 23 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Boone County, the largest being Ames (2), Perry (1), Polk City (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby