Rock County, Minnesota: commercial real estate data.
Rock County, Minnesota had an estimated 9,525 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,703, across 482 square miles. County output reached $991.7 m in 2024, 279 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $3.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Rock County
How many people live in Rock County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,621
- Households4,035
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$71,295
- Median age41.2
- Median gross rent$698 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$224,300
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,515
- Population under 182,349
- Share under 1824.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,966
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,306
- Civilian labor force5,213
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.7 percent
- Rank by population among Minnesota counties70th of 87
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2515th of 3,222
Rock County is the 70th largest of 87 Minnesota counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.4 percent against 20.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rock County
Is Rock County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,525
- Census 2020 base population9,703
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.83 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-76
- Births, 202457
- Deaths, 202497
- Natural change, 2024-40
- Net domestic migration, 2024-39
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-37
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-48
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2454th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.83 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.
Rock County
Where are people moving to Rock County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving180
- People arriving, from those returns349
- Tax returns filed by households leaving205
- Net household movement-25
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$55,256
- Average income of a leaving household$55,566
- Largest single originMinnehaha County (59 households)
- Largest single destinationMinnehaha County (70 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 59 | 131 | $4.0 m |
| Nobles County | 22 | 40 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $310 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Minnehaha 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.
Rock County
What is the Rock County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$991.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$810.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202422.4 percent
- GDP change over five years65.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Minnesota areas BEA publishes53rd of 87
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1853rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$103,076
Output grew 22.4 percent in the latest year and 65.7 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.
Rock County
Employment by industry in Rock County
- Covered employment, annual average3,689
- Establishments reporting328
- Average annual pay$53,870
- Average weekly wage$1,036
- Manufacturing, employment644
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,262
- Health care and social assistance, employment593
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$55,874
- Retail trade, employment408
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,205
- Finance and insurance, employment239
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$131,236
- Accommodation and food services, employment221
- Wholesale trade, employment205
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 644 | 17 | $52,262 |
| Health care and social assistance | 593 | 34 | $55,874 |
| Retail trade | 408 | 31 | $31,205 |
| Finance and insurance | 239 | 19 | $131,236 |
| Accommodation and food services | 221 | 20 | $13,361 |
| Wholesale trade | 205 | 19 | $73,279 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 149 | 21 | $62,239 |
| Construction | 124 | 32 | $50,859 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 644 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rock County
How many businesses are in Rock County?
- Establishments, all industries279
- Employment at those establishments3,070
- Annual payroll$139.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.0
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.
Rock County
Building permits in Rock County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202468
- Declared construction value permitted$10.2 m
- Single family units authorized10
- Multifamily units authorized58
- Multifamily share of units85.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$149,275
- Units authorized per 1,000 households16.9
Multifamily is 85.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rock County
SBA loans in Rock County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$227,862
- Median 7(a) approval$185,000
- Largest single approval$600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)107
- Jobs per approval8.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term72 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Most active lenderSecurity Savings Bank (6)
- 504 approvals recorded15
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.8 m
- Average 504 approval$385,933
- Median 504 approval$261,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval4.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.4
- Most active CDCMidwest Business Finance Corporation (14)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$8.8 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.
Rock County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Rock County
Do SBA loans in Rock County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 7 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.
Rock County
SBA lending by place in Rock County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Luverne, approvals12
- Hills, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Luverne | 12 | $2,707,200 |
| Hills | 1 | $255,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rock County
How large is Rock County?
- Land area482 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Minnesota counties70th of 87
- Width, east to west20.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land20
- Establishments per square mile0.58
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.
Rock County
Flood risk in Rock County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Rock County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 270642
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Rock 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 Rock County (community 270642), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Rock 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 Rock 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 Rock County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,621
- Households4,035
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$71,295
- Median age41.2
Common questions
Rock County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rock County, Minnesota?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,525 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,621, in 4,035 households, ranking 70th of 87 Minnesota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rock County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.83 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,703, to 9,525 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 57 births against 97 deaths, with net migration of -37. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rock County?
$71,295. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $224,300, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $698 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Rock County?
279 establishments, employing 3,070 people with an annual payroll of $139.6 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 Rock County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 644 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,689 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,870, or $1,036 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rock County?
13 7(a) approvals totaling $3.0 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $185,000, plus 15 504 approvals worth $5.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Rock County?
68 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $10.2 m. Multifamily was 85.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rock 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 Rock County come from?
The largest single origin is Minnehaha County, with 59 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,256 against $55,566 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Rock 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 Rock 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.
Rock County
Cities and places in Rock.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Rock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luverne | city | 4,925 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Jasper | city | 818 | None recorded | 51.1 percent here, 48.9 percent Pipestone County |
| Hills | city | 748 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Beaver Creek | city | 293 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hardwick | city | 235 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Magnolia | city | 215 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Steen | city | 125 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kenneth | city | 72 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |