Franklin County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Franklin County, Iowa had an estimated 10,024 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,012, across 582 square miles. County output reached $789.8 m in 2024, 285 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $3.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Franklin County
How many people live in Franklin County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,956
- Households4,198
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$59,894
- Median age42.7
- Median gross rent$696 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$124,100
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,821
- Population under 182,396
- Share under 1824.1 percent
- Population 65 and over2,147
- Share 65 and over21.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,413
- Civilian labor force4,774
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.1 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties73rd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2484th of 3,222
Franklin County is the 73rd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.1 percent against 21.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Franklin County
Is Franklin County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202410,024
- Census 2020 base population10,012
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.12 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024129
- Births, 2024119
- Deaths, 202492
- Natural change, 202427
- Net domestic migration, 202440
- Net international migration, 202462
- Total net migration, 2024102
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-103
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1783rd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.12 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.
Franklin County
Where are people moving to Franklin County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving205
- People arriving, from those returns363
- Tax returns filed by households leaving237
- Net household movement-32
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-541,000
- Average income of an arriving household$53,200
- Average income of a leaving household$48,300
- Largest single originCerro Gordo County (39 households)
- Largest single destinationCerro Gordo County (39 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Gordo County | 39 | 75 | $1.9 m |
| Hardin County | 34 | 73 | $2.1 m |
| Butler County | 20 | 34 | $936,000 |
Households arriving report $4,900 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 Cerro Gordo 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.
Franklin County
What is the Franklin County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$789.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$786.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.4 percent
- GDP change over five years40.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes65th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2034th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$79,331
Output grew 0.4 percent in the latest year and 40.1 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.
Franklin County
Employment by industry in Franklin County
- Covered employment, annual average3,982
- Establishments reporting364
- Average annual pay$53,225
- Average weekly wage$1,024
- Manufacturing, employment1,028
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$64,182
- Retail trade, employment345
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,295
- Construction, employment260
- Construction, average annual pay$76,876
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment244
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$53,349
- Management of companies and enterprises, employment213
- Wholesale trade, employment183
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,028 | 19 | $64,182 |
| Retail trade | 345 | 35 | $29,295 |
| Construction | 260 | 27 | $76,876 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 244 | 40 | $53,349 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 213 | 4 | $72,436 |
| Wholesale trade | 183 | 29 | $74,679 |
| Finance and insurance | 94 | 22 | $66,091 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 59 | 14 | $49,109 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,028 jobs, 25.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Franklin County
How many businesses are in Franklin County?
- Establishments, all industries285
- Employment at those establishments3,139
- Annual payroll$159.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.6
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.
Franklin County
Building permits in Franklin County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$1.4 m
- Single family units authorized5
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$286,130
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.2
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.
Franklin County
SBA loans in Franklin County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,266,833
- Median 7(a) approval$115,000
- Largest single approval$3,600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term84 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.8 m
- Average 504 approval$449,500
- Median 504 approval$482,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval2.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.4
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$5.6 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.
Franklin County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Franklin County
Do SBA loans in Franklin County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
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.
Franklin County
SBA lending by place in Franklin County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Ackley, approvals1
- Sheffield, approvals1
- Hampton, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Ackley | 1 | $3,600,000 |
| Sheffield | 1 | $115,000 |
| Hampton | 1 | $85,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Franklin County
How large is Franklin County?
- Land area582 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties28th of 99
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land17
- Establishments per square mile0.49
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.
Franklin County
Flood risk in Franklin County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Franklin County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190867
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book11
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate81.8 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Franklin 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 Franklin County (community 190867), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Franklin 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. 81.8 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,956
- Households4,198
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$59,894
- Median age42.7
Common questions
Franklin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Franklin County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 10,024 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,956, in 4,198 households, ranking 73rd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Franklin County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.12 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,012, to 10,024 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 119 births against 92 deaths, with net migration of 102. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Franklin County?
$59,894. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $124,100, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $696 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Franklin County?
285 establishments, employing 3,139 people with an annual payroll of $159.3 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 Franklin County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,028 jobs, 25.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,982 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,225, or $1,024 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Franklin County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $3.8 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $115,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Franklin County?
5 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Franklin 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 Franklin County come from?
The largest single origin is Cerro Gordo County, with 39 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,200 against $48,300 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Franklin 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 Franklin 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.
Franklin County
Cities and places in Franklin.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Franklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton | city | 4,306 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Ackley | city | 1,482 | 1 | 34.2 percent here, 65.8 percent Hardin County |
| Sheffield | city | 1,053 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Latimer | city | 681 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dows | city | 562 | None recorded | 36.8 percent here, 63.2 percent Wright County |
| Alexander | city | 245 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coulter | city | 228 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bradford | CDP | 178 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Geneva | city | 152 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Chapin | CDP | 137 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Popejoy | city | 109 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hansell | city | 83 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby