Jobs, pay and daily life in Council Bluffs, 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.
Council Bluffs is a city in Iowa with 62,586 residents. The median household earns $64,578 a year and the median rent is $1,030 a month, which is 19.1% of the median household income. It is part of the Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 498,100 jobs.
How Council Bluffs compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Council Bluffs is #10 by population, #8 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #47 for college degrees (#1 = most), #46 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Pottawattamie County, is #20 of 99 counties for average pay ($56,397).
Council Bluffs has 62,586 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.9% of the population of Iowa. It covers 43 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,457 people per square mile. The median age is 38.7, about the same as the state median (38.7 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $1,030 a month (rent plus utilities), 6% above the state median ($1,030 against $972). Over a year that is 19.1% 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 $171,800, which is 2.7 times the median household income ($64,578); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 63.1% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (63.1% against 71.7%).
The Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area has 498,100 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,660 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,660 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (55,630 jobs, median $47,100); food preparation and serving related (48,260 jobs, median $34,270); sales and related (43,380 jobs, median $37,540). The area is most specialised in personal care and service (1.4 times) and construction and extraction (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($108,120) and computer and mathematical ($96,400). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Pottawattamie County was 3.4%. 62.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Pottawattamie County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.9% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 1.9% walk, 8.4% work from home. 3.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 57% below the state average (3.5% against 8.2%).
21.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32% below the state share (21.5% against 31.4%). 5.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 16% below the state share (5.0% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 15.1%, 36% above the state rate (15.1% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 24°F (-4.7°C). About 833 mm (33 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (128 mm) and Jan the driest (19 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: Bellevue (8 miles, rent 19% higher); Offutt AFB (9 miles, rent 62% higher); Ralston (10 miles, rent 18% higher); Omaha (11 miles, rent 15% higher). Rent differences are against Council Bluffs; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guidePottawattamie 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.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 15,580 | 1.26 | $29,450 | $28,110 | $35,940 | -6% |
| Registered Nurses | 13,200 | 1.22 | $84,600 | $69,070 | $112,940 | -13% |
| Retail Salespersons | 12,080 | 0.97 | $33,260 | $28,280 | $46,490 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,430 | 1.02 | $90,620 | $48,880 | $203,670 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 10,490 | 1.16 | $36,810 | $29,560 | $46,170 | -1% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 10,210 | 1.55 | $58,010 | $40,150 | $80,650 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 9,110 | 0.92 | $31,270 | $28,420 | $36,720 | -5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 8,810 | 1.06 | $44,260 | $34,040 | $60,170 | -1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 7,740 | 1.67 | $40,020 | $37,750 | $49,760 | -5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,620 | 1.05 | $34,290 | $28,080 | $59,870 | -3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,480 | 0.54 | $36,450 | $31,850 | $44,630 | +2% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 7,090 | 1.30 | $47,760 | $37,810 | $63,720 | +0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 6,870 | 0.73 | $42,550 | $33,360 | $53,160 | +6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,690 | 0.95 | $35,620 | $29,920 | $46,750 | -3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 5,210 | 1.15 | $35,910 | $28,080 | $45,670 | -2% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 5,170 | 1.11 | $77,030 | $53,120 | $119,820 | -8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 5,030 | 1.09 | $63,700 | $45,760 | $92,810 | -8% |
| Childcare Workers | 4,940 | 2.97 | $31,330 | $28,700 | $36,610 | -10% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,400 | 0.56 | $39,690 | $29,240 | $55,990 | -12% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 4,360 | 0.89 | $51,700 | $37,690 | $71,800 | +4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 870 | 0.79 | $290,460 | $80,370 | $405,780 | +9% |
| Chief Executives | 1,330 | 2.03 | $228,220 | $105,770 | $530,980 | +7% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 740 | 3.45 | $185,110 | $70,920 | $369,180 | -28% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 720 | 1.03 | $148,930 | $107,040 | $222,240 | -13% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 2,970 | 1.38 | $145,500 | $98,810 | $215,960 | -17% |
| Pharmacists | 1,350 | 1.31 | $141,830 | $56,130 | $170,090 | +1% |
| Financial Managers | 3,120 | 1.16 | $140,390 | $97,080 | $235,850 | -16% |
| Physician Assistants | 720 | 1.39 | $134,130 | $106,690 | $168,400 | -1% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,380 | 1.33 | $133,760 | $107,450 | $161,990 | +1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,020 | 1.45 | $132,020 | $85,570 | $211,770 | -12% |
| Lawyers | 2,010 | 0.83 | $131,730 | $76,700 | $230,820 | -17% |
| Sales Managers | 1,760 | 0.86 | $130,100 | $77,320 | $226,880 | -12% |
| Software Developers | 3,920 | 0.73 | $125,220 | $80,120 | $162,800 | -8% |
| Computer Network Architects | 780 | 1.36 | $121,970 | $80,300 | $167,940 | -9% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 940 | 0.89 | $121,950 | $81,110 | $159,850 | +15% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,380 | 0.69 | $120,620 | $56,400 | $195,400 | -15% |
| Marketing Managers | 1,280 | 1.01 | $112,870 | $76,330 | $200,150 | -32% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 820 | 1.04 | $109,960 | $75,980 | $171,230 | -13% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 1,450 | 1.72 | $108,790 | $74,040 | $170,890 | -5% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,940 | 1.01 | $107,810 | $78,790 | $195,000 | -13% |
These figures are for the whole Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,660 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.4% |
| Retail trade | 14.7% |
| Manufacturing | 12.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.2% |
| Construction | 6.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.5% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Public administration | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
| Information | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Council Bluffs 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottawattamie County | 93,424 | $6,263 million | $67,041 | 41,403 | 2,746 | $56,397 | +3.7% | 3.4% | 47,649 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 5,581 | 16.6% | $61,097 | 0.94 |
| Retail trade | 5,504 | 16.4% | $34,183 | 1.33 |
| Manufacturing | 5,472 | 16.3% | $64,500 | 1.61 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,212 | 15.5% | $29,062 | 1.38 |
| Construction | 2,260 | 6.7% | $72,751 | 1.04 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,249 | 6.7% | $59,450 | 0.92 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,150 | 6.4% | $50,275 | 1.23 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,073 | 3.2% | $80,192 | 0.37 |
| Finance and insurance | 874 | 2.6% | $78,271 | 0.52 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 777 | 2.3% | $51,194 | 0.62 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 627 | 1.9% | $23,665 | 0.90 |
| Information | 624 | 1.9% | $139,104 | 0.80 |
| Real estate and rental | 491 | 1.5% | $58,776 | 0.76 |
| Educational services | 424 | 1.3% | $32,530 | 0.50 |
| Management of companies | 263 | 0.8% | $164,428 | 0.38 |
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 | 79.9% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 1.9% |
| Work from home | 8.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 3.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,578 |
| Income per person | $33,937 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,030 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.1% |
| Median home value | $171,800 |
| Homeowners | 63.1% |
| Poverty rate | 15.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,660 |
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 | 38.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 88.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.5% |
| Born abroad | 5.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.7 | 24 | 19 |
| Feb | -3.1 | 26 | 25 |
| Mar | 4.2 | 40 | 44 |
| Apr | 11.0 | 52 | 80 |
| May | 17.1 | 63 | 128 |
| Jun | 22.9 | 73 | 122 |
| Jul | 25.5 | 78 | 84 |
| Aug | 24.1 | 75 | 111 |
| Sep | 19.5 | 67 | 80 |
| Oct | 11.3 | 52 | 69 |
| Nov | 4.1 | 39 | 34 |
| Dec | -2.6 | 27 | 37 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | NE | 8 mi | 64,510 | $85,462 | $1,226 |
| Offutt AFB | NE | 9 mi | 6,074 | $72,500 | $1,666 |
| Ralston | NE | 10 mi | 6,472 | $69,403 | $1,215 |
| Omaha | NE | 11 mi | 488,837 | $73,201 | $1,187 |
| La Vista | NE | 12 mi | 16,563 | $81,961 | $1,317 |
| Papillion | NE | 13 mi | 25,244 | $111,679 | $1,269 |
| Chalco | NE | 15 mi | 10,595 | $85,672 | $1,195 |
| Plattsmouth | NE | 16 mi | 6,731 | $73,929 | $941 |
| Gretna | NE | 19 mi | 9,193 | $123,992 | $1,540 |
| Blair | NE | 26 mi | 7,914 | $81,452 | $937 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
62,586 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,030 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.1% of the median household income.
$64,578 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Pottawattamie County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.