Jobs, pay and daily life in Denison, 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.
Denison is a city in Iowa with 8,260 residents. The median household earns $65,684 a year and the median rent is $731 a month, which is 13.4% 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 Denison compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Denison is #49 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #57 for college degrees (#1 = most), #55 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Crawford County, is #43 of 99 counties for average pay ($53,067).
Denison has 8,260 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Iowa. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,263 people per square mile. The median age is 34.3, 11% younger than the state median (34.3 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $731 a month (rent plus utilities), 25% below the state median ($731 against $972). Over a year that is 13.4% 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 $150,200, which is 2.3 times the median household income ($65,684); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 71.3% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (71.3% against 71.7%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Crawford County was 3.7%. 67.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Crawford County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 70.3% drive alone, 3.5% use public transit, 2.7% walk, 4.3% work from home. 4.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 45% below the state average (4.6% against 8.2%).
17.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44% below the state share (17.5% against 31.4%). 30.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 422% above the state share (30.9% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 17.5%, 58% above the state rate (17.5% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 21°F (-6.2°C). About 793 mm (31 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (116 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: Carroll (25 miles, similar rent); Storm Lake (44 miles, rent 23% higher); Blair (52 miles, rent 28% higher); Council Bluffs (60 miles, rent 41% higher). Rent differences are against Denison; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideCrawford 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 35.3% |
| Education and health care | 17.4% |
| Retail trade | 11.7% |
| Other services | 6.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 4.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 3.1% |
| Construction | 2.0% |
| Public administration | 1.9% |
| Information | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Denison 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 16,277 | $1,117 million | $68,631 | 6,524 | 514 | $53,067 | +1.8% | 3.7% | 8,231 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,886 | 40.0% | $61,902 | 3.52 |
| Health care and social assistance | 684 | 14.5% | $45,048 | 0.73 |
| Retail trade | 682 | 14.5% | $29,336 | 1.05 |
| Accommodation and food services | 366 | 7.8% | $17,144 | 0.62 |
| Construction | 349 | 7.4% | $76,504 | 1.02 |
| Finance and insurance | 178 | 3.8% | $62,433 | 0.67 |
| Administrative and waste services | 117 | 2.5% | $58,794 | 0.30 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 114 | 2.4% | $43,543 | 0.58 |
| Professional and technical services | 82 | 1.7% | $45,475 | 0.18 |
| Information | 69 | 1.5% | $52,586 | 0.56 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 56 | 1.2% | $60,516 | 1.06 |
| Educational services | 44 | 0.9% | $38,911 | 0.33 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 44 | 0.9% | $11,685 | 0.40 |
| Real estate and rental | 34 | 0.7% | $38,562 | 0.34 |
| Management of companies | 8 | 0.2% | $86,246 | 0.07 |
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 | 70.3% |
| Public transit | 3.5% |
| Walk | 2.7% |
| Work from home | 4.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,684 |
| Income per person | $29,674 |
| Median gross rent per month | $731 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 13.4% |
| Median home value | $150,200 |
| Homeowners | 71.3% |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% |
| 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 | 34.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 74.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 17.5% |
| Born abroad | 30.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -6.2 | 21 | 19 |
| Feb | -4.7 | 24 | 24 |
| Mar | 2.8 | 37 | 42 |
| Apr | 9.7 | 49 | 80 |
| May | 15.9 | 61 | 113 |
| Jun | 22.0 | 72 | 116 |
| Jul | 24.6 | 76 | 83 |
| Aug | 23.1 | 74 | 106 |
| Sep | 18.6 | 65 | 82 |
| Oct | 10.2 | 50 | 61 |
| Nov | 3.0 | 37 | 33 |
| Dec | -3.9 | 25 | 34 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll | IA | 25 mi | 10,208 | $69,706 | $722 |
| Storm Lake | IA | 44 mi | 11,428 | $62,765 | $898 |
| Blair | NE | 52 mi | 7,914 | $81,452 | $937 |
| Council Bluffs | IA | 60 mi | 62,586 | $64,578 | $1,030 |
| South Sioux City | NE | 62 mi | 13,907 | $68,223 | $1,127 |
| Sioux City | IA | 63 mi | 86,101 | $68,906 | $976 |
| Omaha | NE | 63 mi | 488,837 | $73,201 | $1,187 |
| Perry | IA | 66 mi | 7,985 | $68,910 | $931 |
| Dakota Dunes | SD | 67 mi | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| Ralston | NE | 67 mi | 6,472 | $69,403 | $1,215 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
8,260 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$731 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 13.4% of the median household income.
$65,684 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Crawford County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.