Humboldt County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Humboldt County, Iowa had an estimated 9,617 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,597, across 434 square miles. County output reached $598.2 m in 2024, 305 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $5.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Humboldt County
How many people live in Humboldt County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,591
- Households4,219
- Average household size2.27
- Median household income$71,946
- Median age42.1
- Median gross rent$744 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$155,800
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,650
- Population under 182,274
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over2,075
- Share 65 and over21.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,242
- Civilian labor force4,844
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.2 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties78th of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2518th of 3,222
Humboldt County is the 78th largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 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.
Humboldt County
Is Humboldt County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,617
- Census 2020 base population9,597
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.21 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202453
- Births, 2024130
- Deaths, 2024107
- Natural change, 202423
- Net domestic migration, 2024-24
- Net international migration, 202452
- Total net migration, 202428
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-133
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1750th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.21 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.
Humboldt County
Where are people moving to Humboldt County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving192
- People arriving, from those returns335
- Tax returns filed by households leaving201
- Net household movement-9
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$55,260
- Average income of a leaving household$59,627
- Largest single originWebster County (42 households)
- Largest single destinationWebster County (46 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster County | 42 | 76 | $1.9 m |
Households arriving report $4,367 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Webster 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.
Humboldt County
What is the Humboldt County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$598.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$588.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.7 percent
- GDP change over five years33.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes82nd of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2279th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$62,370
Output grew 1.7 percent in the latest year and 33.9 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.
Humboldt County
Employment by industry in Humboldt County
- Covered employment, annual average3,810
- Establishments reporting367
- Average annual pay$52,721
- Average weekly wage$1,014
- Manufacturing, employment874
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,199
- Retail trade, employment409
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,229
- Wholesale trade, employment287
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$72,959
- Construction, employment271
- Construction, average annual pay$63,023
- Transportation and warehousing, employment151
- Finance and insurance, employment101
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 874 | 23 | $60,199 |
| Retail trade | 409 | 33 | $26,229 |
| Wholesale trade | 287 | 37 | $72,959 |
| Construction | 271 | 37 | $63,023 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 151 | 26 | $59,297 |
| Finance and insurance | 101 | 23 | $62,918 |
| Utilities | 92 | 6 | $114,129 |
| Other services, except public administration | 50 | 17 | $38,140 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 874 jobs, 22.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Humboldt County
How many businesses are in Humboldt County?
- Establishments, all industries305
- Employment at those establishments3,111
- Annual payroll$157.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.8
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.
Humboldt County
Building permits in Humboldt County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorized5
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$362,390
- 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.
Humboldt County
SBA loans in Humboldt County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$596,378
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- Largest single approval$1,500,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)79
- Jobs per approval8.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 504 approval$858,333
- Median 504 approval$909,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.4
- Most active CDCSiouxland Economic Development Corporation (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$10.5 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.
Humboldt County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Humboldt County
Do SBA loans in Humboldt County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 2 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.
Humboldt County
How large is Humboldt County?
- Land area434 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties85th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south18.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.70
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.
Humboldt County
Flood risk in Humboldt County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Humboldt County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 190876
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate77.8 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Humboldt 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 Humboldt County (community 190876), 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 Humboldt 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. 77.8 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 Humboldt 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 Humboldt County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,591
- Households4,219
- Average household size2.27
- Median household income$71,946
- Median age42.1
Common questions
Humboldt County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Humboldt County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,617 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,591, in 4,219 households, ranking 78th of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Humboldt County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.21 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,597, to 9,617 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 130 births against 107 deaths, with net migration of 28. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Humboldt County?
$71,946. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $155,800, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $744 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Humboldt County?
305 establishments, employing 3,111 people with an annual payroll of $157.8 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 Humboldt County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 874 jobs, 22.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,810 jobs at an average annual pay of $52,721, or $1,014 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Humboldt County?
9 7(a) approvals totaling $5.4 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $5.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Humboldt County?
5 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Humboldt 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 Humboldt County come from?
The largest single origin is Webster County, with 42 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,260 against $59,627 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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.
Humboldt County
Cities and places in Humboldt.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Humboldt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt | city | 4,771 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Dakota City | city | 752 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gilmore City | city | 748 | None recorded | 77.0 percent here, 23.0 percent Pocahontas County |
| Livermore | city | 416 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bode | city | 379 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lu Verne | city | 318 | None recorded | 50.7 percent here, 49.3 percent Kossuth County |
| Thor | city | 257 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Renwick | city | 229 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rutland | city | 120 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bradgate | city | 104 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ottosen | city | 31 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hardy | city | 10 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby