County profile · Iowa
Palo Alto County, IA market data
How Palo Alto County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 8,899
- −1.0% since 2020
- Households
- 3,782
- Median household income
- $72,781
- Median home value
- $123,200
- Jobs located here
- 3,528
- Market scores
- Not scored
- Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Palo Alto County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Palo Alto County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Palo Alto County has an estimated 8,899 people and 3,782 households. Population estimates put the population change in Palo Alto County from 2020 to 2025 at −1.0%, against +3.1% for the U.S. Median household income in Palo Alto County is $72,781, 10% below the U.S. median of $80,734.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in Palo Alto County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 122, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (63).
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for grocery and convenience stores (2.1 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for medical and dental practices (47% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in Palo Alto County
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and cafes | 38 | 100.5 | $371K | 100 | 18 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 17 | 44.9 | $302K | 198 | 6 |
| Auto repair and car care | 16 | 42.3 | $276K | 103 | 5 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 16 | 42.3 | $881K | 133 | 9 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 15 | 39.7 | $1.5M | 44 | 4 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 12 | 31.7 | $301K | 141 | Under 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 9 | 23.8 | $491K | 110 | 3 |
| Hair salons | 8 | 21.2 | $451K | 105 | Under 3 |
| Insurance agencies | 7 | 18.5 | $987K | 79 | 13 |
| Chiropractors | 6 | 15.9 | $856K | 36 | 6 |
| Convenience stores | 6 | 15.9 | $3.7M | 47 | Under 3 |
| Grocery stores | 6 | 15.9 | $3.7M | 40 | 3 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 5 | 13.2 | $1.4M | 112 | Under 3 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 5 | 13.2 | $1.4M | 162 | Under 3 |
| Pet businesses | 5 | 13.2 | $604K | 69 | Under 3 |
| Funeral homes | 4 | 10.6 | $175K | 26 | Under 3 |
| Gas stations | 4 | 10.6 | $2.8M | 119 | 7 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 4 | 10.6 | $767K | 116 | Under 3 |
| Pizza | 4 | 10.6 | $3.5M | 69 | 7 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 3 | 7.9 | $4.7M | 127 | Under 3 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 3 | 7.9 | $4.7M | 154 | 7 |
| Gyms | 3 | 7.9 | $1M | 79 | Under 3 |
| Home repair trades | 3 | 7.9 | $3.3M | 135 | 9 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 3 | 7.9 | $1.5M | 89 | Under 3 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 3 | 7.9 | $1M | 40 | Under 3 |
| Real estate | 3 | 7.9 | Index only | 395 | Under 3 |
| Tire shops | 3 | 7.9 | $1.5M | 59 | Under 3 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 2 | 5.3 | $7M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Child care and preschools | 2 | 5.3 | $692K | Too few | 3 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 2 | 5.3 | $2.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 2 | 5.3 | $2.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Electricians | 2 | 5.3 | $4.9M | Too few | 3 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 2 | 5.3 | $2.2M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 2 | 5.3 | $2.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 2 | 5.3 | Index only | Too few | Under 3 |
| Spas and skin care | 2 | 5.3 | $1.8M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Barbershops | 1 | 2.6 | $3.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Car washes and detailing | 1 | 2.6 | $4.4M | Too few | Under 3 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 1 | 2.6 | $9.8M | Too few | 6 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 1 | 2.6 | $3.1M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Nail salons | 1 | 2.6 | $3.6M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Pest control | 1 | 2.6 | $4.5M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Physical therapy | 1 | 2.6 | $5.1M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Property management | 1 | 2.6 | Index only | Too few | Under 3 |
| Veterinarians | 1 | 2.6 | $3M | Too few | Under 3 |
| Dry cleaners | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Home inspectors | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| House cleaning | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Laundromats | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Pet stores | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Roofing and gutters | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 0 | 0.0 | None listed | None listed | Under 3 |
Household spending in Palo Alto County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $4.4M | $1,168 | 122 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $11.3M | $3,001 | 116 |
| Food away from home | $14.1M | $3,728 | 92 |
| Groceries | $22.3M | $5,909 | 94 |
| Personal care products and services | $3.6M | $954 | 95 |
| Child care and other personal services | $1.4M | $366 | 63 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $3.1M | $811 | 82 |
| Medical and dental services | $5.1M | $1,358 | 105 |
| Pets | $3M | $799 | 88 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $7.1M | $1,882 | 92 |
| Vehicle insurance | $6.9M | $1,827 | 93 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $9.8M | $2,601 | 86 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $4.5M | $1,184 | 84 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $51.3M | $13,577 | 81 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in Palo Alto County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 8,899−1.0% since 2020
- Households
- 3,782
- Median age
- 41.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 77%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 564 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 16
- Median household income
- $72,781
- Average household income
- $89,684
- Median home value
- $123,200
- Jobs located here
- 3,528
- Daytime population
- 8,293Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Palo Alto County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of Palo Alto County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Nearest counties in Iowa 8
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- Kossuth County, IA14,516 people
- Clay County, IA16,461 people
- Pocahontas County, IA7,046 people
- Dickinson County, IA17,990 people
- Humboldt County, IA9,591 people
- Buena Vista County, IA20,753 people
- Calhoun County, IA9,803 people
Questions
How fast is Palo Alto County, IA growing?
Population estimates put Palo Alto County at 8,899 people in 2025, down 1.0% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 3,782 households.
How much do households in Palo Alto County, IA spend?
Households in Palo Alto County spend about $51.3M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $22.3M on groceries and $14.1M on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in Palo Alto County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 122, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (63).
Which business types have the highest market scores in Palo Alto County, IA?
The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.
How does Palo Alto County, IA compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in Palo Alto County is $72,781 a year, 10% below the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 1.0% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $123,200, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, Palo Alto County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for grocery and convenience stores (2.1 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for medical and dental practices (47% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Palo Alto County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in Iowa · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in Palo Alto County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Palo Alto County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.