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Plymouth County

Selling a Business in Plymouth County

Plymouth County has 667 employer businesses, and 88% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here.

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LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Plymouth County by the numbers

667

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

88%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

1,915

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

10,405

EMPLOYMENT

$715 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

241

BUSINESSES WITH 5 TO 49 EMPLOYEES

U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2024. Counts are employer establishments, meaning business locations with paid employees.

How Plymouth County compares

Plymouth County ranks 26th of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 3.8% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 11% of employer businesses in Plymouth County, compared with 5% in Iowa.
241 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Plymouth County ranks 26th of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 3.8% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 11% of employer businesses in Plymouth County, compared with 5% in Iowa.
241 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Construction: 87 employer businesses
Retail: 82 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 80 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 72 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 53 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Construction: 87 employer businesses
Retail: 82 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 80 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 72 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 53 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Plymouth County

Construction, retail, repair, personal care and other services, transportation and warehousing

Carpentry & Framing

Construction & Engineering

Civil Engineering

Construction & Engineering

Audio Visual (AV)

Home Services

Commercial Cleaning

Home Services

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Every kind of business we sell in Plymouth County

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Plymouth County. Counts are employer businesses in the closest Census industry codes. Industries without a clean Census match are listed without a count, and a few industries share one Census category, so their counts match. A sale multiple is the price a business typically sells for as a multiple of its earnings. SDE means seller's discretionary earnings, which is the owner's pay plus the profit of the business. EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Construction & Engineering

91 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

General Contracting: 34 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Landscaping: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
HVAC Services: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Electrical: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Interior Finishing: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Roofing & Siding: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

77 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

General Freight Trucking: 65 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Warehousing & Fulfillment: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

40 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.

Financial & Professional Services

38 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Insurance Agencies: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Real Estate Brokerages: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Wealth Management: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.7x - 4.0x Recurring Revenue.

Retail Stores

30 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Hardware, Garden & Building: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.
Health, Beauty & Pharmacy: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.8x - 4.2x EBITDA.
Home Decor & Furniture: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.

Automotive & Boat

28 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Auto Repair: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Auto Parts: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Car Dealerships: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2x - 8x Blue Sky + Assets.
Car Washes: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.

Manufacturing

19 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.
Printing & Plastics: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.9x - 4.9x SDE.
Metal Fabrication: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.

Medical Practices

19 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Dental Practices: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Vision & Eye Care: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Mental & Behavioral Health: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Veterinary Medicine: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

16 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Gas Stations: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Entertainment & Recreation

15 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Bars & Pubs: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Clubs & Lounges: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Golf Courses: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Outdoor Recreation: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.

Health & Fitness

10 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Wellness & Recovery Centers: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.5x - 9.7x EBITDA.
Gyms & Health Clubs: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 2.93x SDE.
Yoga Studios: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.07x - 2.50x SDE.
Pilates Studios: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.10x - 3.00x SDE.
Personal Training Studios: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.00x - 2.80x SDE.

Wholesale & Distribution

9 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Industrial & Construction Supply: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Food & Beverage Distribution: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

7 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Daycare Centers: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Hospitality & Travel

6 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Hotels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Pharmacies & Medical Supply

5 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Compounding Pharmacies: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Specialty Pharmacies: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.

Beauty & Personal Care

3 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Hair Salons: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.25x - 2.34x SDE.

Home Services

3 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Residential Cleaning: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.6x SDE.
Commercial Cleaning: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.47x - 4.11x EBITDA.

Pet Services

3 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Pet Grooming & Spas: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Boarding, Daycare & Training: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.

Construction & Engineering

91 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

General Contracting: 34 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Landscaping: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
HVAC Services: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Electrical: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Interior Finishing: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Roofing & Siding: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

77 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

General Freight Trucking: 65 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Warehousing & Fulfillment: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

40 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.

Financial & Professional Services

38 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Insurance Agencies: 17 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Real Estate Brokerages: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Wealth Management: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.7x - 4.0x Recurring Revenue.

Retail Stores

30 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE + Inventory.
Hardware, Garden & Building: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.
Health, Beauty & Pharmacy: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.8x - 4.2x EBITDA.
Home Decor & Furniture: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.2x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.

Automotive & Boat

28 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Auto Repair: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.
Auto Parts: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE + Inventory.
Car Dealerships: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2x - 8x Blue Sky + Assets.
Car Washes: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.

Manufacturing

19 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.
Printing & Plastics: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.9x - 4.9x SDE.
Metal Fabrication: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.

Medical Practices

19 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Dental Practices: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Vision & Eye Care: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Mental & Behavioral Health: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Veterinary Medicine: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

16 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Gas Stations: 16 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Entertainment & Recreation

15 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Bars & Pubs: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Clubs & Lounges: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.
Golf Courses: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.
Outdoor Recreation: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.

Health & Fitness

10 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Wellness & Recovery Centers: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 5.5x - 9.7x EBITDA.
Gyms & Health Clubs: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 2.93x SDE.
Yoga Studios: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.07x - 2.50x SDE.
Pilates Studios: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.10x - 3.00x SDE.
Personal Training Studios: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.00x - 2.80x SDE.

Wholesale & Distribution

9 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Industrial & Construction Supply: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.
Food & Beverage Distribution: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

7 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Daycare Centers: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Hospitality & Travel

6 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Hotels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Pharmacies & Medical Supply

5 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Compounding Pharmacies: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.
Specialty Pharmacies: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 6.5x EBITDA.

Beauty & Personal Care

3 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Hair Salons: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.25x - 2.34x SDE.

Home Services

3 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Residential Cleaning: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.6x SDE.
Commercial Cleaning: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.47x - 4.11x EBITDA.

Pet Services

3 related employer businesses in Plymouth County.

Pet Grooming & Spas: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.
Boarding, Daycare & Training: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA.

Working with owners in Plymouth County

Business Advisors of America works with owners who are selling a business in Plymouth County. Contact us to talk about a sale.

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Plymouth County ask

How long does it take to sell a business in Plymouth County?

The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers. Many sales take six months or longer from the start of the process to closing.

How is a business valued in Plymouth County?

Valuation starts with the earnings the business produces for an owner, then adjusts for assets, size, industry and the terms a buyer is likely to accept. The result is a range, and the asking price is set inside it.

Is the sale confidential?

Buyers are asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they see the name of the business or its financial statements.

FROM OUR BLOG

Guides for owners in Plymouth County

October 3, 2025

Business Owners

Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On

Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.

Read article

October 3, 2025

Business Owners

Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On

Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.

Read article

March 5, 2026

Business Owners

Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close

Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.

Read article

March 5, 2026

Business Owners

Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close

Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.

Read article

February 9, 2026

Business Owners

The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why

The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.

Read article

February 9, 2026

Business Owners

The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why

The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.

Read article