Madison County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Madison County, Iowa had an estimated 17,161 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,545, across 561 square miles. County output reached $684.3 m in 2024, 435 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $5.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Madison County
How many people live in Madison County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,926
- Households6,696
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$90,855
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$1,036 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$245,100
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,468
- Population under 184,258
- Share under 1825.2 percent
- Population 65 and over2,995
- Share 65 and over17.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,673
- Civilian labor force9,232
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.9 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties42nd of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2042nd of 3,222
Madison County is the 42nd largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.2 percent against 17.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Madison County
Is Madison County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202417,161
- Census 2020 base population16,545
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.72 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024162
- Births, 2024200
- Deaths, 2024150
- Natural change, 202450
- Net domestic migration, 2024112
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024114
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024397
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents741st of 3,144
The county has grown 3.72 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.
Madison County
Where are people moving to Madison County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving492
- People arriving, from those returns972
- Tax returns filed by households leaving462
- Net household movement30
- Adjusted gross income arriving$38.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$9.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$78,874
- Average income of a leaving household$63,370
- Largest single originPolk County (138 households)
- Largest single destinationPolk County (111 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 138 | 272 | $10.2 m |
| Dallas County | 87 | 175 | $9.0 m |
| Warren County | 48 | 97 | $4.2 m |
Households arriving report $15,504 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 Polk 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.
Madison County
What is the Madison County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$684.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$680.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.6 percent
- GDP change over five years50.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes74th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2166th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$40,428
Output grew 0.6 percent in the latest year and 50.8 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.
Madison County
Employment by industry in Madison County
- Covered employment, annual average4,235
- Establishments reporting566
- Average annual pay$50,189
- Average weekly wage$965
- Retail trade, employment594
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,525
- Construction, employment347
- Construction, average annual pay$54,916
- Accommodation and food services, employment345
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,468
- Health care and social assistance, employment303
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$31,597
- Manufacturing, employment244
- Finance and insurance, employment190
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 594 | 51 | $28,525 |
| Construction | 347 | 81 | $54,916 |
| Accommodation and food services | 345 | 27 | $17,468 |
| Health care and social assistance | 303 | 54 | $31,597 |
| Manufacturing | 244 | 18 | $51,208 |
| Finance and insurance | 190 | 46 | $83,606 |
| Wholesale trade | 127 | 32 | $95,243 |
| Other services, except public administration | 91 | 32 | $40,098 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 594 jobs, 14.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Madison County
How many businesses are in Madison County?
- Establishments, all industries435
- Employment at those establishments2,850
- Annual payroll$121.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.7
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.
Madison County
Building permits in Madison County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024123
- Declared construction value permitted$36.6 m
- Single family units authorized68
- Multifamily units authorized55
- Multifamily share of units44.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$297,401
- Units authorized per 1,000 households18.4
Multifamily is 44.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Madison County
SBA loans in Madison County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$575,630
- Median 7(a) approval$138,250
- Largest single approval$3,250,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)96
- Jobs per approval9.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term106 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 shorter10
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSite Preparation Contractors (3)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 504 approval$391,500
- Median 504 approval$272,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.3
- Most active CDCIowa Business Growth Company (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$8.1 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.
Madison County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Madison County
Do SBA loans in Madison County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure8
- Status: Paid in full2
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.
Madison County
SBA lending by place in Madison County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending6
- St. Charles, approvals3
- Winterset, approvals2
- Earlham, approvals2
- Cumming, approvals1
- Bevington, approvals1
- Lorimor, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| St. Charles | 3 | $454,700 |
| Winterset | 2 | $1,076,500 |
| Earlham | 2 | $725,100 |
| Cumming | 1 | $3,250,000 |
| Bevington | 1 | $200,000 |
| Lorimor | 1 | $50,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Madison County
How large is Madison County?
- Land area561 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties60th of 99
- Width, east to west23.5 mi
- Height, north to south24.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land30
- Establishments per square mile0.78
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.
Madison County
Flood risk in Madison County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Madison County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190887
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Madison 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 Madison County (community 190887), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202416,926
- Households6,696
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$90,855
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Madison County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Madison County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 17,161 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 16,926, in 6,696 households, ranking 42nd of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Madison County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.72 percent since the 2020 census base of 16,545, to 17,161 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 200 births against 150 deaths, with net migration of 114. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Madison County?
$90,855. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $245,100, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,036 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Madison County?
435 establishments, employing 2,850 people with an annual payroll of $121.5 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 Madison County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 594 jobs, 14.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,235 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,189, or $965 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Madison County?
10 7(a) approvals totaling $5.8 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $138,250, plus 6 504 approvals worth $2.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Madison County?
123 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $36.6 m. Multifamily was 44.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Madison 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 Madison County come from?
The largest single origin is Polk County, with 138 households. Arriving households report an average income of $78,874 against $63,370 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Madison 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 Madison 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.
Madison County
Cities and places in Madison.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Madison County. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winterset | city | 5,416 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Earlham | city | 1,528 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| St. Charles | city | 914 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Truro | city | 518 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Patterson | city | 346 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Peru | city | 92 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Macksburg | city | 56 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bevington | city | 15 | 1 | 54.0 percent here, 46.0 percent Warren County |
A further 2 of the county's 10 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Madison County, the largest being Cumming (1), Lorimor (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby