Housing Report for Cerro Gordo County, Iowa

Throughout the State of Iowa, Cerro Gordo County places 62 of 99 in terms of percentage growth in new housing structures. The county ranks 2,321 of 3,141, when comparing thee change in housing structures in counties throughout the nation.

In Cerro Gordo County, the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division accounted for a total of 21,840 homes in the year 2005. This county has gone through a growth in housing units, adding a sum of 325 residential structures since 2001, a change of 1.5 percent.

Cerro Gordo County had an owner-occupied dwelling median in 2000 of $75,400, accounted by the Decennial Census. This median is less than the overall Iowa 2000 median owner-occupied dwelling value of $82,500 and less than median home value of $119,600 across the nation during that year.

According to the data, there is a large amount of affordable housing in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. In 2000, 80.6 percent of residential real estate was valued under $125,000.





Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Employment Report for Cerro Gordo County, Iowa -- Annual 2005 Industry Summary

Manufacturing has the largest businesses in Cerro Gordo County. The industry averages 62 workers per each place of employment, being greater than the industry's national average of 39 and greater than the Iowa typical size of 54 for the Manufacturing industry.

Manufacturing since the year 2001 was faced with the largest loss in employment in Cerro Gordo County. The sector dealt with a loss of 199 jobs during the period, or 4.8 percent of the employment in the industry. This made up a total of 57.5 percent of all county employment losses since 2001.

In Cerro Gordo County, Health care and social assistance, Manufacturing and Retail Trade have the highest US LQ in 2005. The Health care and social assistance sector has a United State LQ of 1.62. The level of employment in the Health care and social assistance sector is 1.62 times more than the average percent in the United States, revealing signs that Cerro Gordo may be an exporter of products or services of Health care and social assistance.

In Cerro Gordo County, Health care and social assistance, Retail Trade, and the Manufacturing sectors are the largest industries, in terms of total number of jobs in 2005. The Health care and social assistance produces the largest number of jobs in the area accounting for 21 percent of total employment in the county, making up 5,020 individuals. The Retail Trade and Manufacturing sectors provide 16.7 and 16.3 percent of all employment.

Construction saw the biggest increase in jobs since the year 2001 in Cerro Gordo County, with an employment growth of 50.7 percent. This is greater than the change of total jobs in the industry for the United States of 7.3 percent. The State of Iowa had an industry job change of 11.4 percent, in the last 5 years.

Datasource: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW).