Emmet County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Emmet County, Iowa had an estimated 9,162 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,388, across 396 square miles. County output reached $519.1 m in 2024, 268 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $4.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Emmet County
How many people live in Emmet County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,262
- Households4,063
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$63,730
- Median age42.9
- Median gross rent$733 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$114,100
- Home value to household income1.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,549
- Population under 181,766
- Share under 1819.1 percent
- Population 65 and over2,230
- Share 65 and over24.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,266
- Civilian labor force5,083
- Unemployment rate1.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.8 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties80th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2546th of 3,222
Emmet County is the 80th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 1.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.1 percent against 19.1 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.
Emmet County
Is Emmet County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,162
- Census 2020 base population9,388
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.41 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-115
- Births, 2024111
- Deaths, 2024116
- Natural change, 2024-5
- Net domestic migration, 2024-112
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024-112
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-83
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2604th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.41 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.
Emmet County
Where are people moving to Emmet County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving191
- People arriving, from those returns325
- Tax returns filed by households leaving194
- Net household movement-3
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-805,000
- Average income of an arriving household$47,372
- Average income of a leaving household$50,789
- Largest single originDickinson County (35 households)
- Largest single destinationDickinson County (38 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County | 35 | 52 | $1.1 m |
| Palo Alto County | 20 | 47 | $992,000 |
Households arriving report $3,417 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Dickinson 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.
Emmet County
What is the Emmet County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$519.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$457.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202413.6 percent
- GDP change over five years44.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes85th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2382nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$56,044
Output grew 13.6 percent in the latest year and 44.7 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.
Emmet County
Employment by industry in Emmet County
- Covered employment, annual average3,286
- Establishments reporting330
- Average annual pay$48,094
- Average weekly wage$925
- Manufacturing, employment624
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$61,019
- Retail trade, employment420
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,035
- Construction, employment148
- Construction, average annual pay$51,934
- Wholesale trade, employment113
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$77,587
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment111
- Other services, except public administration, employment104
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 624 | 19 | $61,019 |
| Retail trade | 420 | 38 | $30,035 |
| Construction | 148 | 42 | $51,934 |
| Wholesale trade | 113 | 22 | $77,587 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 111 | 15 | $50,086 |
| Other services, except public administration | 104 | 25 | $38,348 |
| Finance and insurance | 94 | 17 | $65,196 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 72 | 20 | $72,681 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 624 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Emmet County
How many businesses are in Emmet County?
- Establishments, all industries268
- Employment at those establishments2,726
- Annual payroll$123.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.9
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.
Emmet County
Building permits in Emmet County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202473
- Declared construction value permitted$8.7 m
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized67
- Multifamily share of units91.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$119,041
- Units authorized per 1,000 households18.0
Multifamily is 91.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Emmet County
SBA loans in Emmet County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$798,500
- Median 7(a) approval$600,000
- Largest single approval$1,907,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)89
- Jobs per approval17.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$441,000
- Average 504 approval$220,500
- Median 504 approval$220,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval6.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved29.5
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$4.4 m
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.
Emmet County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Emmet County
Do SBA loans in Emmet County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Only 1 loan has 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.
Emmet County
How large is Emmet County?
- Land area396 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties98th of 99
- Width, east to west23.7 mi
- Height, north to south17 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land23
- Establishments per square mile0.68
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.
Emmet County
Flood risk in Emmet County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Emmet County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190865
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Emmet 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 Emmet County (community 190865), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Emmet 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. 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 Emmet 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 Emmet County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,262
- Households4,063
- Average household size2.28
- Median household income$63,730
- Median age42.9
Common questions
Emmet County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Emmet County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,162 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,262, in 4,063 households, ranking 80th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Emmet County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.41 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,388, to 9,162 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 111 births against 116 deaths, with net migration of -112. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Emmet County?
$63,730. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $114,100, which is 1.8 times income, and median gross rent is $733 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Emmet County?
268 establishments, employing 2,726 people with an annual payroll of $123.0 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 Emmet County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 624 jobs, 19.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,286 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,094, or $925 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Emmet County?
5 7(a) approvals totaling $4.0 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $600,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $441,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Emmet County?
73 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $8.7 m. Multifamily was 91.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Emmet 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 Emmet County come from?
The largest single origin is Dickinson County, with 35 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,372 against $50,789 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Emmet 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 Emmet 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.
Emmet County
Cities and places in Emmet.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Emmet County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estherville | city | 5,839 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Armstrong | city | 703 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ringsted | city | 380 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dolliver | city | 161 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wallingford | city | 128 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gruver | city | 30 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby