A Nexus of Connection

An efficient, connected, and reliable transportation network is essential for supporting business growth, industrial expansion, and long-term economic vitality. Buchanan County is uniquely positioned with a combination of major highways, rail service, and air access that allows companies to move people, products, and materials with ease.

The county is anchored by key four-lane corridors, including U.S. Highway 20 and the Avenue of the Saints (I-380), which provide fast east-west and north-south mobility across the Midwest. Iowa Highway 150 further strengthens local and regional access for workforce, suppliers, and customers.

Rail users benefit from service by both the Canadian National Railroad and the Iowa Northern Railroad, offering reliable freight options for agriculture, manufacturing, and distribution. Air travel and air cargo needs are supported by two nearby commercial airports—the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids and the Waterloo Regional Airport—along with Buchanan County’s own full-service municipal airport, capable of accommodating small jet traffic for business travelers and corporate fleets.

For water transportation, barge access at the Port of Dubuque is just 72 miles away, expanding logistics options for bulk commodities. Strategically located in America’s heartland, Buchanan County provides direct access to 23% of the U.S. population within 500 miles, giving businesses a strong competitive advantage.

Laborshed Study 2025

In 2025, BCEDC and Cedar Valley Regional Partnership in partnership with Iowa Workforce Development, completed a Laborshed Study. It defines the area from which Buchanan County draws its workforce, using employee ZIP code data from local employers to map commuting patterns and workforce characteristics.

This study identifies workforce availability, commuting patterns, and skill sets. With this data the county can attract new businesses, support existing employers, and guide workforce training efforts. It strengthens the county’s ability to compete for investment and plan strategically for growth.

Information generated from the Laborshed study includes:

• Estimated # of individuals very likely/somewhat likely to change or accept employment in Buchanan County.
• Employment info by industry sectors: wage data, number employed, etc.
• Employment status: employed/unemployed, homemakers or retired.
• Commuting patterns.
• Benefits and education levels.
• How people seek employment and how companies can best target employees

Reports

The Iowa Workforce Development Laborshed Studies website offers interactive and executive summaries for various cities or regions.

Buchanan County  ||  The city of Independence is chosen as information for the studies based on the most centralized city of the county.

• Executive Summary
• Interactive
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Biotechnology
• Financial Services
• Warehouse & Distribution

Cedar Valley  ||  We are part of the Cedar Valley Regional Partnership region.

• Executive Summary
• Interactive
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Biotechnology
• Financial Services
• Warehouse & Distribution

Reports

The Iowa Workforce Development Laborshed Studies website offers interactive and executive summaries for various cities or regions.

Buchanan County  |  The city of Independence is chosen as information for the studies is based of the most centralized city of the county.

• Executive Summary  |  2021
• Interactive  |  2021
• Advanced Manufacturing  |  2021
• Biotechnology  |  2021
• Financial Services  |  2021
• Warehouse & Distribution  |  2021

Cedar Valley  |  We are part of the Cedar Valley Regional Partnership region.

• Executive Summary  |  2021
• Interactive  |  2021
• Advanced Manufacturing  |  2021
• Biotechnology  |  2021
• Financial Services  |  2021
• Wage Report
• Warehouse & Distribution  |  2021
• Workforce Needs Assessment

Workforce

Buchanan County is a great location for businesses and industries, their employees and their families. This part of the Cedar Valley Region houses a population of over 20,000 people and has a potential labor force of over 209,000 workers from a six-county area.

The Buchanan County manufacturing sector continues to expand. This sector has grown over the past few years with local industries continuing to expand both their physical plants as well as adding additional employees. These local industries have rich ties to their community and see them as a positive place to do business as they continue to grow right here in Buchanan County.

Many opportunities await both employers and those seeking employment within the Buchanan County, Iowa area. These opportunities, partnered with a highly educated and motivated workforce, have attracted Fortune 500 companies such as Tyson to locate operations in Buchanan County as well.

In Buchanan County, the average hourly wage across all industries in 2019 was $20.80/hour. In the highest employment sector, manufacturing, the average wage is $16.32/hour with a welder with experience on average making $20.46/hour and an assembler making on average $17.03/hour.

Quick Look at Buchanan County
Employees	640
Employers with 150+ Employees	8
Per Capita Income	$31,495
Median Household Income	$61,409
Mean Household Income	$79,904
Average Wage Per Job	$32,895
Median Age	38.7 years
High School Graduation Rate	94.1%
Some College	20.9%
Degree	20.6%
Advanced Degree	5.6%

Education Based on Ages 25-64	Total	In Labor Force	Employed	Unemployment Rate
Population 25-64	11,500	82.9%	80.3%	2.6%
High School Graduate (includes equivalency)	4,188	83.4%	80.9%	2.5%
Some college or Associate’s Degree	3,730	83.3%	80.5%	2.7%
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher	2,055	88.7%	87.8%	0.9%

Key Incentives

Buchanan County offers an array of business incentives, including state tax benefits, revolving loan funds, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), property tax relief, and infrastructure improvements. Through key partnerships with state and regional entities, local leaders collaborate to create competitive incentive packages that support employer attraction and long-term, sustainable economic growth.

Local Incentives

Buchanan County Economic Development  offers low-interest revolving loans to provide gap financing to assist with new and expanding business needs. Funds are based on job creation, wages and private investment. All loans are made at 3% interest over 5 years with a 6-month non-accrual of interest and first payment not due until 9 months in and quarterly thereafter.  

543 Kick-Starter Loan  ||  $5,000  ||  4 Years  ||  3% Interest

• Business Growth Loan  ||  Up to $25,000  ||  3% Interest

For more information on either loan, please see our BCEDC RLF Brochure.

Local Grant

Buchanan County Economic Development offers a Buchanan County only KEY Business Grant to businesses located in Buchanan County.  This grant is a reimbursable grant  for up to $10,000 for a key or unique business in a Buchanan County community.  Certain requirements need to be met to qualify for this grant, these can be found in the KEY Business Grant Guidelines.

• Key-Business Grant  ||  Up to $10,000  or 25% of the total project amount

Additional local revolving loans include:

• CARES RLF  ||  For more information as well as the application, please see the INRCOG website.
• East Central Iowa REC
• East Buchanan Telephone Coop
• Independence Light & Power RLF
• Black Hawk Economic Development RLF

Regional Incentives

The Cedar Valley Region offers a variety of tools to help new and expanding businesses make effective decisions on financing and cost savings of their project. These tools not only include loan programs but may include tax incentives, special building and site pricing, direct financial assistance and more.

• Tax Increment Financing (TIF)  ||  City councils or boards of supervisors may use new property taxes resulting from the increase in taxable valuation caused by the construction of new industrial or commercial facilities to provide economic development incentives to a business. TIF Basic explanation.
• Local Tax Abatement  ||  Iowa law allows cities and counties to abate local property taxes for value added to industrial and commercial real estate.
• Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Program (REDLG)  ||  Zero interest loans, up to $1 million
• Direct Financial Assistance  ||  Communities and utilities have access to a variety of local and regional business growth incentive tools including revolving loan funds and local development corporation funds.
• CIRAS  ||  Iowa State University Center for Industrial Research and Service

State Incentives

Iowa is among the lowest in the nation for natural gas rates and well below the national average for electricity rates. Iowa ranked 1st in the nation for % of wind generated electricity.

Our state offers a comfortable corporate income tax based on total in-state sales revenue, no property, sales or use tax on industrial machinery and equipment, no personal property (inventory) tax, and no sales and use tax.

Iowa is also investing heavily in job training and education through the Future Ready Iowa.

For more information, please visit the Iowa Economic Development website.

• Iowa Advantage
• 50 State Comparison
• State Tax Incentive Programs
  • New Jobs Tax Credits
  • Research Activities Tax Credit
  • Innovation Fund Tax Credit
• High Quality Jobs Program
• Historic Preservation Tax Credit
• International Financial Assistance
• Targeted Small Business Program
• Demonstration Fund