HomeIowaCedar CountyWest Branch
West Branch, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
West Branch is a Census city of 2,594 people across 2.57 square miles of land, in Cedar County. Median household income is $92,209, 82.2 percent of occupied homes are owned, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals to borrowers here worth $1.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
West Branch
What West Branch is
- Census place typecity
- Land area2.57 sq mi
- Water area0 sq mi
- Population per square mile of land1,009
- County holding the largest share of its areaCedar County, 99.2 percent
US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Branch
How many people live in West Branch
- Population2,594
- Median age36.7
- Population under 18612 plus or minus 159
- Share under 1823.6 percent plus or minus 6.1
- Population 65 and over434 plus or minus 95
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent plus or minus 3.7
- Households1,040
- Family households666
- Share of households that are families64.0 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Branch
Income and work in West Branch
- Median household income$92,209
- Per capita income$42,486
- Civilian labor force1,485
- Employed1,473
- Unemployed12 plus or minus 19
- Unemployment rate0.8 percent plus or minus 1.3
- Adults 25 and over1,736
- Adults 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher96.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.9 percent plus or minus 3.4
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Branch
Housing in West Branch
- Housing units1,131
- Occupied units1,040
- Vacant units91 plus or minus 78
- Vacancy rate8.0 percent plus or minus 6.8
- Owner occupied855
- Renter occupied185 plus or minus 61
- Ownership rate82.2 percent
- Median owner-occupied home value$216,100
- Median gross rent, monthly$1,053 plus or minus $305
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent plus or minus 4.1
- Single family units813
- Share single family71.9 percent
- Units in buildings of two or more179 plus or minus 76
- Share in buildings of two or more15.8 percent plus or minus 6.5
- Mobile homes139 plus or minus 60
- Median year structure built1993
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Branch
How West Branch gets to work
- Workers 16 and over who commute1,303
- Commuting under 15 minutes339 plus or minus 107
- Share commuting under 15 minutes26.0 percent plus or minus 7.8
- Commuting 30 minutes or more361 plus or minus 94
- Share commuting 30 minutes or more27.7 percent plus or minus 6.7
- Drove alone82.5 percent
- Carpooled4.1 percent plus or minus 2.8
- Public transport1.0 percent plus or minus 1.6
- Walked0.0 percent
- Worked from home11.4 percent plus or minus 5.1
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Branch
SBA loans in West Branch (7(a))
- Approvals4
- Gross approval$1,008,500
- Average approval$252,125
- Median approval$53,000
- Largest approval$892,500
- Jobs supported12
- Jobs per approval3.0
- Loans with a final outcome2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Median term120 months
- Share on real estate terms of 20 years or more25.0 percent
- Share to franchises25.0 percent
- Distinct lenders3
- Distinct industries by NAICS3
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in West Branch, in any county, FY2020 to FY2026. Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
West Branch
SBA loans in West Branch (504)
- Approvals2
- Gross approval$648,000
- Average approval$324,000
- Median approval$324,000
- Largest approval$468,000
- Jobs supported7
- Loans with a final outcome2
- Charged off0
- Median term240 months
- Distinct CDCs2
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in West Branch, in any county, FY2010 to FY2026. Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
West Branch
Flood risk in West Branch
- NFIP communityCity of West Branch
- NFIP community number190058
- Participating in the NFIPYes
- Community Rating System classNone
- Currently effective map date08/19/13
The City of West Branch participates in the National Flood Insurance Program as community 190058 and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies to it.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Cedar County, not West Branch
Cedar County context, not West Branch figures
- Establishments in Cedar County460
- Covered employment, Cedar County5,170
- Average annual pay, Cedar County$49,261
- Housing units permitted, Cedar County49
Every figure in this section is published for Cedar County as a whole and is not a measurement of West Branch.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages. US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Parcel detail, 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 →
Common questions
West Branch questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in West Branch, Iowa?
2,594, in 1,040 households. West Branch city covers 2.57 square miles of land, which is 1,009 people per square mile. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
What county is West Branch in?
Cedar County, which holds 99.2 percent of the place by area. Source: US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage.
What is the median household income in West Branch?
$92,209. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $216,100. Median gross rent is $1,053 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
How much SBA lending goes to West Branch businesses?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $1.0 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, median approval $53,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $648,000 since FY2010. These count approvals to borrowers whose address is in West Branch, not projects sited inside the place boundary, and they are approvals recorded in the release rather than loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans to West Branch borrowers get paid back?
No rate is published for West Branch. Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published. The counts are shown instead.
Is West Branch in the National Flood Insurance Program?
Yes. West Branch appears in the FEMA Community Status Book as West Branch, city of, community 190058, with no Community Rating System class, so no CRS discount applies. Whether a specific parcel sits in a mapped special flood hazard area is an address level question the platform answers.
Are the county figures on this page West Branch figures?
No, and they are labeled so. County Business Patterns, QCEW, the Building Permits Survey, BEA product and IRS migration are published for Cedar County as a whole and there is no place level equivalent. They appear in one clearly marked section as context and are never presented as measurements of West Branch.
Is zoning published for West Branch?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning.
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