County economic snapshot: housing prices down, job openings outnumber seekers, officials push workforce training

Mark Row, presenting an economic and community development update to the Wapello County Board of Supervisors, said the county’s housing market has softened and workforce development remains an acute challenge.

"The average house price right now is selling at about $136,500 in Wapo County, which is about an 8% decline over the same period last year," Mark Row told the board, adding that houses are averaging roughly 122 days on the market. He said unemployment has fallen to about 3.1% from roughly 3.5% a year earlier and the labor‑force participation rate is near 62.7%.

Row said the county currently lists about 1,000 open jobs but only about 525 registered job seekers, and estimated a net loss of roughly 400 jobs over the last year—largely due to layoffs at major manufacturers. To address the mismatch he described workforce partnerships with IowaWORKS, Cardinal School District and Indian Hills Community College to promote certification and skills training outside a four‑year college track.

On housing, Row updated the board on the Vogal Heights project: 58 total units with about 40 plots, 14 single‑family units sold, three units allocated to Indian Hills Community College and five to the school district; more than half of units are sold to local and regional developers. He said the county is pursuing additional housing development opportunities for the next five years to handle growth needs.

Row also summarized recent local events and business recruitment efforts, noting year‑over‑year small business growth of about 1.8%, with roughly 76% of new businesses qualifying as small business and a majority owned by women or minority owners.

The board did not vote on policy changes during the presentation; members thanked Row and asked staff to continue workforce and housing outreach.