Jobs, pay and daily life in Burlington, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Burlington is a city in Iowa with 23,728 residents. The median household earns $59,000 a year and the median rent is $924 a month, which is 18.8% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Burlington compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Burlington is #23 by population, #51 for household income (#1 = highest), #51 for remote work (#1 = most), #44 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Des Moines County, is #48 of 99 counties for average pay ($52,718).
Burlington has 23,728 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of Iowa. It covers 14 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,647 people per square mile. The median age is 42.5, 10% older than the state median (42.5 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $924 a month (rent plus utilities), 5% below the state median ($924 against $972). Over a year that is 18.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $114,300, which is 1.9 times the median household income ($59,000); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 70.6% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (70.6% against 71.7%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Des Moines County was 4.2%. 60.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Des Moines County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.2% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 1.2% walk, 5.1% work from home. 5.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 29% below the state average (5.8% against 8.2%).
22.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28% below the state share (22.5% against 31.4%). 2.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 53% below the state share (2.8% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 13.2%, 19% above the state rate (13.2% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (24.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 23°F (-4.8°C). About 910 mm (36 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (127 mm) and Jan the driest (31 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Fort Madison (17 miles, rent 11% lower); Mount Pleasant (25 miles, rent 11% lower); Keokuk (31 miles, rent 6% lower); Galesburg (40 miles, rent 13% lower). Rent differences are against Burlington; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideDes Moines CountyIowa rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 226 federal postings open in Iowa (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.2% |
| Manufacturing | 16.9% |
| Retail trade | 12.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.6% |
| Construction | 4.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.7% |
| Other services | 3.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.7% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.3% |
| Information | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Burlington lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines County | 38,487 | $2,924 million | $75,970 | 19,833 | 1,405 | $52,718 | +0.2% | 4.2% | 18,802 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,073 | 24.4% | $63,660 | 2.50 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,232 | 19.4% | $68,546 | 1.14 |
| Retail trade | 2,610 | 15.6% | $33,372 | 1.32 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,861 | 11.2% | $19,457 | 1.03 |
| Construction | 856 | 5.1% | $65,289 | 0.82 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 815 | 4.9% | $58,986 | 0.97 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 636 | 3.8% | $27,102 | 1.91 |
| Administrative and waste services | 563 | 3.4% | $49,978 | 0.48 |
| Finance and insurance | 476 | 2.9% | $71,280 | 0.59 |
| Professional and technical services | 470 | 2.8% | $70,560 | 0.34 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 447 | 2.7% | $44,264 | 0.75 |
| Real estate and rental | 166 | 1.0% | $40,831 | 0.54 |
| Management of companies | 165 | 1.0% | $86,898 | 0.49 |
| Educational services | 164 | 1.0% | $30,741 | 0.40 |
| Information | 146 | 0.9% | $51,731 | 0.39 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.2% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 1.2% |
| Work from home | 5.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,000 |
| Income per person | $34,430 |
| Median gross rent per month | $924 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.8% |
| Median home value | $114,300 |
| Homeowners | 70.6% |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.80%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 22.5% |
| Born abroad | 2.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.8 | 23 | 31 |
| Feb | -3.1 | 26 | 41 |
| Mar | 4.0 | 39 | 59 |
| Apr | 10.9 | 52 | 89 |
| May | 17.0 | 63 | 117 |
| Jun | 22.6 | 73 | 127 |
| Jul | 24.8 | 77 | 90 |
| Aug | 23.8 | 75 | 99 |
| Sep | 19.4 | 67 | 84 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 53 | 75 |
| Nov | 4.5 | 40 | 50 |
| Dec | -2.0 | 28 | 48 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Madison | IA | 17 mi | 10,133 | $50,705 | $826 |
| Mount Pleasant | IA | 25 mi | 8,951 | $61,042 | $826 |
| Keokuk | IA | 31 mi | 9,662 | $52,711 | $871 |
| Galesburg | IL | 40 mi | 29,481 | $48,297 | $801 |
| Muscatine | IA | 42 mi | 23,489 | $58,117 | $974 |
| Washington | IA | 45 mi | 7,290 | $55,373 | $968 |
| Fairfield | IA | 46 mi | 9,456 | $51,311 | $870 |
| Rock Island | IL | 54 mi | 36,151 | $59,041 | $842 |
| Moline | IL | 57 mi | 42,197 | $67,701 | $900 |
| Davenport | IA | 58 mi | 100,913 | $66,200 | $978 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
23,728 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$924 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.8% of the median household income.
$59,000 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.2% (BLS county, Des Moines County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.