Pocahontas County, Iowa: commercial real estate data.
Pocahontas County, Iowa had an estimated 7,006 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,078, across 577 square miles. County output reached $641.7 m in 2024, 200 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $7.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Pocahontas County
How many people live in Pocahontas County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,046
- Households3,000
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$61,875
- Median age43.7
- Median gross rent$832 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$98,100
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,877
- Population under 181,644
- Share under 1823.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,682
- Share 65 and over23.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,720
- Civilian labor force3,442
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.7 percent
- Rank by population among Iowa counties91st of 99
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2733rd of 3,222
Pocahontas County is the 91st largest of 99 Iowa counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.9 percent against 23.3 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.
Pocahontas County
Is Pocahontas County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20247,006
- Census 2020 base population7,078
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.02 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-18
- Births, 202482
- Deaths, 202491
- Natural change, 2024-9
- Net domestic migration, 2024-64
- Net international migration, 202456
- Total net migration, 2024-8
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-124
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2195th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.02 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.
Pocahontas County
Where are people moving to Pocahontas County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving123
- People arriving, from those returns238
- Tax returns filed by households leaving143
- Net household movement-20
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$41,122
- Average income of a leaving household$43,357
- Largest single originBuena Vista County (27 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County | 27 | 53 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $2,235 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Buena Vista 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.
Pocahontas County
What is the Pocahontas County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$641.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$645.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.5 percent
- GDP change over five years35.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Iowa areas BEA publishes78th of 99
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2224th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$91,070
Output grew -0.5 percent in the latest year and 35.4 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.
Pocahontas County
Employment by industry in Pocahontas County
- Covered employment, annual average2,644
- Establishments reporting265
- Average annual pay$52,766
- Average weekly wage$1,015
- Manufacturing, employment435
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,536
- Transportation and warehousing, employment419
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$56,496
- Construction, employment49
- Construction, average annual pay$57,906
- Information, employment42
- Information, average annual pay$33,844
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment38
- Other services, except public administration, employment28
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 435 | 8 | $60,536 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 419 | 18 | $56,496 |
| Construction | 49 | 16 | $57,906 |
| Information | 42 | 5 | $33,844 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 38 | 20 | $47,082 |
| Other services, except public administration | 28 | 11 | $39,333 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 435 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Pocahontas County
How many businesses are in Pocahontas County?
- Establishments, all industries200
- Employment at those establishments1,934
- Annual payroll$104.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.4
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.
Pocahontas County
Building permits in Pocahontas County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$1.6 m
- Single family units authorized5
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$320,650
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.7
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.
Pocahontas County
SBA loans in Pocahontas County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,178,500
- Median 7(a) approval$441,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)71
- Jobs per approval11.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term221 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Most active lenderUnited Bank of Iowa (5)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$125,000
- Average 504 approval$125,000
- Median 504 approval$125,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved96.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$7.2 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.
Pocahontas County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Pocahontas County
Do SBA loans in Pocahontas County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
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.
Pocahontas County
SBA lending by place in Pocahontas County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Pocahontas, approvals5
- Palmer, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas | 5 | $2,071,000 |
| Palmer | 1 | $5,000,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pocahontas County
How large is Pocahontas County?
- Land area577 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Iowa counties35th of 99
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land12
- Establishments per square mile0.35
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.
Pocahontas County
Flood risk in Pocahontas County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Pocahontas County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 190900
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate87.5 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County (community 190900), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Pocahontas 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. 87.5 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 Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,046
- Households3,000
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$61,875
- Median age43.7
Common questions
Pocahontas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
The Census Bureau estimates 7,006 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 7,046, in 3,000 households, ranking 91st of 99 Iowa counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pocahontas County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.02 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,078, to 7,006 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 82 births against 91 deaths, with net migration of -8. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pocahontas County?
$61,875. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $98,100, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $832 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Pocahontas County?
200 establishments, employing 1,934 people with an annual payroll of $104.7 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 Pocahontas County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 435 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,644 jobs at an average annual pay of $52,766, or $1,015 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pocahontas County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $7.1 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $441,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $125,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Pocahontas County?
5 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County come from?
The largest single origin is Buena Vista County, with 27 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,122 against $43,357 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas 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.
Pocahontas County
Cities and places in Pocahontas.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Pocahontas County. All 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas | city | 1,763 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Laurens | city | 1,206 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gilmore City | city | 748 | None recorded | 23.0 percent here, 77.0 percent Humboldt County |
| Rolfe | city | 626 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fonda | city | 589 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Havelock | city | 162 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Palmer | city | 134 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Plover | city | 45 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Varina | city | 29 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby