Decatur County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Decatur County, Iowa had an estimated 7,656 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,767, across 532 square miles. County output reached $277.6 m in 2024, 146 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $1.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Decatur County
How many people live in Decatur County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,759
- Households3,055
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$59,044
- Median age36.1
- Median gross rent$611 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$113,900
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,779
- Population under 181,721
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over1,639
- Share 65 and over21.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,399
- Civilian labor force3,874
- Unemployment rate1.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.2 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties86th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2668th of 3,222
Decatur County is the 86th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 21.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Decatur County
Is Decatur County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20247,656
- Census 2020 base population7,767
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.43 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-125
- Births, 202478
- Deaths, 2024116
- Natural change, 2024-38
- Net domestic migration, 2024-109
- Net international migration, 202422
- Total net migration, 2024-87
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-37
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2337th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.43 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Decatur County
Where are people moving to Decatur County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving189
- People arriving, from those returns389
- Tax returns filed by households leaving175
- Net household movement14
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$46,899
- Average income of a leaving household$37,794
- Largest single originClarke County (34 households)
- Largest single destinationClarke County (25 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke County | 34 | 69 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $9,105 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 Clarke 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.
Decatur County
What is the Decatur County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$277.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$268.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.5 percent
- GDP change over five years25.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes97th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2750th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$35,775
Output grew 3.5 percent in the latest year and 25.6 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.
Decatur County
Employment by industry in Decatur County
- Covered employment, annual average2,269
- Establishments reporting224
- Average annual pay$42,983
- Average weekly wage$827
- Retail trade, employment289
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,579
- Transportation and warehousing, employment208
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$30,685
- Wholesale trade, employment107
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$47,133
- Manufacturing, employment84
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$63,941
- Construction, employment73
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment21
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 289 | 28 | $26,579 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 208 | 12 | $30,685 |
| Wholesale trade | 107 | 18 | $47,133 |
| Manufacturing | 84 | 8 | $63,941 |
| Construction | 73 | 20 | $44,982 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 21 | 8 | $27,397 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 289 jobs, 12.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Decatur County
How many businesses are in Decatur County?
- Establishments, all industries146
- Employment at those establishments1,744
- Annual payroll$54.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.8
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.
Decatur County
Building permits in Decatur County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$641,300
- Single family units authorized2
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,650
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.7
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.
Decatur County
SBA loans in Decatur County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$812,500
- Median 7(a) approval$812,500
- Largest single approval$1,375,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term150 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 shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Decatur County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Decatur County
Do SBA loans in Decatur County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Only 0 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.
Decatur County
How large is Decatur County?
- Land area532 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties64th of 99
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south22.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land15
- Establishments per square mile0.27
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.
Decatur County
Flood risk in Decatur County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Decatur County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 190862
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Decatur 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 Decatur County (community 190862), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Decatur 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. 85.7 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,759
- Households3,055
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$59,044
- Median age36.1
Common questions
Decatur County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Decatur County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 7,656 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 7,759, in 3,055 households, ranking 86th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Decatur County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.43 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,767, to 7,656 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 78 births against 116 deaths, with net migration of -87. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Decatur County?
$59,044. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $113,900, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $611 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Decatur County?
146 establishments, employing 1,744 people with an annual payroll of $54.4 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 Decatur County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 289 jobs, 12.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,269 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,983, or $827 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Decatur County?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $1.6 m since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $812,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Decatur County?
2 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $641,300. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Decatur 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 Decatur County come from?
The largest single origin is Clarke County, with 34 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,899 against $37,794 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Decatur 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 Decatur 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.
Decatur County
Cities and places in Decatur.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Decatur County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamoni | city | 2,207 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Leon | city | 1,899 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Decatur | city | 190 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Van Wert | city | 188 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Garden Grove | city | 171 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grand River | city | 166 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Davis City | city | 160 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weldon | city | 88 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pleasanton | city | 61 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Le Roy | city | 19 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby