Jobs, pay and daily life in Ottumwa, 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.
Ottumwa is a city in Iowa with 25,430 residents. The median household earns $61,103 a year and the median rent is $921 a month, which is 18.1% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Iowa City, IA (93,760 jobs), about 42 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Ottumwa compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Ottumwa is #19 by population, #54 for remote work (#1 = most), #53 for college degrees (#1 = most), #50 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Wapello County, is #42 of 99 counties for average pay ($53,071).
Ottumwa has 25,430 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.8% of the population of Iowa. It covers 16 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,583 people per square mile. The median age is 36.7, 5% younger than the state median (36.7 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $921 a month (rent plus utilities), 5% below the state median ($921 against $972). Over a year that is 18.1% 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 $106,300, which is 1.7 times the median household income ($61,103); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 61.7% of households own their home, 14% below the state average (61.7% against 71.7%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Iowa City, IA, metropolitan area has 93,760 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,060 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (10,060 jobs, median $30,110); office and administrative support (9,970 jobs, median $48,310); healthcare practitioners and technical (9,890 jobs, median $83,050). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.7 times) and educational instruction and library (1.6 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($100,670) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($83,050). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Wapello County was 4.1%. 62.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Wapello County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.1% drive alone, 1.2% use public transit, 1.1% walk, 4.3% work from home. 9.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 15% above the state average (9.4% against 8.2%).
20.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34% below the state share (20.8% against 31.4%). 13.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 129% above the state share (13.5% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 17.2%, 55% above the state rate (17.2% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (24.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 23°F (-5.0°C). About 946 mm (37 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (136 mm) and Jan the driest (29 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: Oskaloosa (22 miles, rent 10% lower); Fairfield (24 miles, rent 6% lower); Pella (37 miles, rent 14% higher); Knoxville (41 miles, rent 13% lower). Rent differences are against Ottumwa; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideWapello 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,090 | 2.00 | $85,940 | $70,290 | $106,150 | -12% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,890 | 1.24 | $28,760 | $22,000 | $36,090 | -8% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,710 | 1.15 | $29,940 | $22,070 | $43,050 | -15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,360 | 1.90 | $61,960 | $47,640 | $126,110 | +6% |
| Cashiers | 2,090 | 1.12 | $29,080 | $23,300 | $37,250 | -12% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,890 | 1.38 | $22,030 | $15,080 | $48,620 | -37% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,780 | 0.68 | $35,630 | $30,240 | $44,590 | -0% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,600 | 0.76 | $81,120 | $41,870 | $192,750 | -23% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,540 | 1.16 | $37,660 | $29,270 | $47,250 | +2% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,350 | 0.79 | $36,440 | $28,740 | $48,770 | -2% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,310 | 1.50 | $39,330 | $35,060 | $50,630 | -7% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,290 | 1.51 | $30,340 | $23,100 | $37,310 | -18% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,290 | 2.22 | $50,130 | $39,000 | $63,190 | +9% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,230 | 0.83 | $46,480 | $31,200 | $62,300 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,190 | 0.76 | $42,340 | $28,960 | $65,720 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,060 | 1.25 | $35,910 | $29,080 | $43,780 | -4% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 910 | 1.39 | $78,850 | $51,440 | $153,970 | -5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 850 | 1.15 | $38,970 | $28,080 | $59,880 | -12% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 830 | 0.47 | $38,060 | $29,020 | $49,690 | -5% |
| Construction Laborers | 800 | 1.21 | $47,940 | $37,500 | $74,570 | +2% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Iowa City, IA, about 42 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,060 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 28.1% |
| Education and health care | 22.2% |
| Retail trade | 14.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.4% |
| Construction | 5.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 4.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.3% |
| Other services | 2.7% |
| Public administration | 2.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.9% |
| Information | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Ottumwa 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wapello County | 35,362 | $2,160 million | $61,077 | 15,384 | 887 | $53,071 | +1.1% | 4.1% | 16,775 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,722 | 29.4% | $75,516 | 2.94 |
| Retail trade | 2,066 | 16.3% | $33,559 | 1.34 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,049 | 16.2% | $54,006 | 0.93 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,204 | 9.5% | $17,080 | 0.86 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 646 | 5.1% | $55,495 | 0.99 |
| Construction | 586 | 4.6% | $68,428 | 0.73 |
| Administrative and waste services | 553 | 4.4% | $44,766 | 0.61 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 325 | 2.6% | $33,391 | 0.70 |
| Professional and technical services | 305 | 2.4% | $54,661 | 0.29 |
| Wholesale trade | 267 | 2.1% | $60,823 | 0.44 |
| Finance and insurance | 240 | 1.9% | $58,748 | 0.38 |
| Educational services | 164 | 1.3% | $40,365 | 0.52 |
| Utilities | 121 | 1.0% | $116,474 | 2.07 |
| Management of companies | 120 | 0.9% | $98,487 | 0.46 |
| Real estate and rental | 101 | 0.8% | $44,686 | 0.42 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 99 | 0.8% | $19,957 | 0.38 |
| Information | 97 | 0.8% | $53,298 | 0.34 |
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 | 77.1% |
| Public transit | 1.2% |
| Walk | 1.1% |
| Work from home | 4.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,103 |
| Income per person | $30,586 |
| Median gross rent per month | $921 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.1% |
| Median home value | $106,300 |
| Homeowners | 61.7% |
| Poverty rate | 17.2% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 91.5 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $50,060 |
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 | 36.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 86.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.8% |
| Born abroad | 13.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.0 | 23 | 29 |
| Feb | -3.4 | 26 | 38 |
| Mar | 3.9 | 39 | 57 |
| Apr | 10.8 | 51 | 92 |
| May | 16.8 | 62 | 122 |
| Jun | 22.5 | 72 | 136 |
| Jul | 24.9 | 77 | 97 |
| Aug | 23.5 | 74 | 114 |
| Sep | 19.1 | 66 | 90 |
| Oct | 11.2 | 52 | 78 |
| Nov | 4.2 | 40 | 48 |
| Dec | -2.3 | 28 | 45 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oskaloosa | IA | 22 mi | 11,504 | $64,004 | $831 |
| Fairfield | IA | 24 mi | 9,456 | $51,311 | $870 |
| Pella | IA | 37 mi | 10,720 | $84,111 | $1,046 |
| Knoxville | IA | 41 mi | 7,473 | $61,599 | $801 |
| Washington | IA | 42 mi | 7,290 | $55,373 | $968 |
| Mount Pleasant | IA | 46 mi | 8,951 | $61,042 | $826 |
| Grinnell | IA | 52 mi | 9,505 | $65,320 | $895 |
| Newton | IA | 57 mi | 15,700 | $57,771 | $819 |
| Kirksville | MO | 57 mi | 17,563 | $50,071 | $775 |
| Fort Madison | IA | 63 mi | 10,133 | $50,705 | $826 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
25,430 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$921 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.1% of the median household income.
$61,103 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.1% (BLS county, Wapello County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.