Jobs, pay and daily life in Sioux City, 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.
Sioux City is a city in Iowa with 86,101 residents. The median household earns $68,906 a year and the median rent is $976 a month, which is 17.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan area, where BLS counts 75,010 jobs.
How Sioux City compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Sioux City is #4 by population, #52 for remote work (#1 = most), #15 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #43 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Woodbury County, is #28 of 99 counties for average pay ($54,684).
Sioux City has 86,101 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.7% of the population of Iowa. It covers 59 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,456 people per square mile. The median age is 34.9, 10% younger than the state median (34.9 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $976 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($976 against $972). Over a year that is 17.0% 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 $173,600, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($68,906); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 65.3% of households own their home, 9% below the state average (65.3% against 71.7%).
The Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan area has 75,010 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,030 a year, 8% below the national median ($47,030 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (10,820 jobs, median $47,150); transportation and material moving (9,140 jobs, median $43,590); office and administrative support (7,130 jobs, median $45,360). The area is most specialised in production (2.6 times) and transportation and material moving (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are production ($47,150) and office and administrative support ($45,360). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Woodbury County was 3.2%. 67.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Woodbury County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.5% drive alone, 1.3% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 5.0% work from home. 4.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 48% below the state average (4.3% against 8.2%).
22.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the state share (22.9% against 31.4%). 12.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 104% above the state share (12.1% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 15.3%, 38% above the state rate (15.3% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (25.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 20°F (-6.5°C). About 749 mm (29 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (112 mm) and Jan the driest (16 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: South Sioux City (3 miles, rent 15% higher); Dakota Dunes (5 miles, rent 26% higher); North Sioux City (6 miles, rent 12% higher); Le Mars (23 miles, rent 5% lower). Rent differences are against Sioux City; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideWoodbury 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,820 | 2.84 | $51,540 | $38,450 | $79,320 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,220 | 1.18 | $30,150 | $24,180 | $45,770 | -15% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,060 | 1.11 | $29,090 | $22,410 | $35,870 | -7% |
| Cashiers | 1,700 | 1.14 | $29,470 | $25,190 | $36,290 | -10% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,660 | 1.17 | $42,790 | $30,450 | $50,960 | +6% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,600 | 0.98 | $75,840 | $62,270 | $96,440 | -22% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,330 | 0.97 | $35,660 | $28,350 | $48,530 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,250 | 0.74 | $90,230 | $42,370 | $206,200 | -15% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,230 | 0.59 | $36,580 | $29,830 | $45,610 | +2% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,120 | 1.05 | $37,090 | $29,020 | $47,850 | +1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,110 | 0.89 | $41,010 | $29,960 | $58,360 | -8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,030 | 0.94 | $26,430 | $15,080 | $49,790 | -25% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 990 | 1.44 | $30,880 | $23,240 | $37,310 | -16% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 980 | 1.32 | $57,470 | $39,110 | $66,840 | +16% |
| Nursing Assistants | 930 | 1.33 | $38,940 | $36,410 | $48,090 | -8% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 890 | 1.33 | $62,270 | $46,820 | $78,900 | -3% |
| Office Clerks, General | 820 | 0.69 | $44,060 | $29,710 | $60,880 | -2% |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 810 | 4.43 | $43,700 | $38,810 | $49,070 | +1% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 780 | 1.31 | $73,500 | $44,220 | $133,020 | +2% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 690 | 1.05 | $47,390 | $34,630 | $61,450 | -6% |
These figures are for the whole Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,030 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.0% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.4% |
| Manufacturing | 20.2% |
| Retail trade | 11.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.2% |
| Construction | 7.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.1% |
| Other services | 4.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.6% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Sioux City lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Plymouth County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbury County | 106,247 | $7,028 million | $66,147 | 51,281 | 3,308 | $54,684 | -0.2% | 3.2% | 56,311 |
| Plymouth County | 25,747 | $1,997 million | $77,565 | 11,726 | 878 | $59,524 | -0.6% | 2.7% | 14,062 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 8,153 | 19.2% | $57,557 | 1.11 |
| Manufacturing | 7,392 | 17.4% | $70,920 | 1.75 |
| Retail trade | 6,831 | 16.1% | $33,969 | 1.33 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,304 | 12.5% | $21,321 | 1.14 |
| Construction | 2,980 | 7.0% | $71,271 | 1.11 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,702 | 6.4% | $39,110 | 0.90 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,407 | 5.7% | $82,221 | 1.19 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,388 | 3.3% | $43,008 | 0.90 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,361 | 3.2% | $79,887 | 0.65 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,060 | 2.5% | $78,780 | 0.30 |
| Educational services | 1,052 | 2.5% | $43,470 | 0.99 |
| Information | 517 | 1.2% | $64,553 | 0.54 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 466 | 1.1% | $20,270 | 0.54 |
| Real estate and rental | 423 | 1.0% | $52,955 | 0.53 |
| Management of companies | 392 | 0.9% | $104,974 | 0.45 |
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 | 79.5% |
| Public transit | 1.3% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 5.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,906 |
| Income per person | $33,795 |
| Median gross rent per month | $976 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.0% |
| Median home value | $173,600 |
| Homeowners | 65.3% |
| Poverty rate | 15.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 86.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,030 |
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 | 34.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 22.9% |
| Born abroad | 12.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -6.5 | 20 | 16 |
| Feb | -4.9 | 23 | 21 |
| Mar | 2.6 | 37 | 41 |
| Apr | 9.5 | 49 | 78 |
| May | 15.8 | 60 | 104 |
| Jun | 22.0 | 72 | 112 |
| Jul | 25.0 | 77 | 80 |
| Aug | 23.3 | 74 | 95 |
| Sep | 18.7 | 66 | 83 |
| Oct | 10.0 | 50 | 60 |
| Nov | 2.7 | 37 | 30 |
| Dec | -4.2 | 24 | 29 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Sioux City | NE | 3 mi | 13,907 | $68,223 | $1,127 |
| Dakota Dunes | SD | 5 mi | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| North Sioux City | SD | 6 mi | 3,045 | $71,908 | $1,098 |
| Le Mars | IA | 23 mi | 10,640 | $74,701 | $929 |
| Vermillion | SD | 34 mi | 11,878 | $50,456 | $764 |
| Wayne | NE | 36 mi | 6,121 | $53,702 | $792 |
| Sioux Center | IA | 42 mi | 8,454 | $92,983 | n/a |
| Canton | SD | 57 mi | 3,033 | $60,850 | $673 |
| Yankton | SD | 58 mi | 15,540 | $67,804 | $790 |
| Storm Lake | IA | 62 mi | 11,428 | $62,765 | $898 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
86,101 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$976 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.0% of the median household income.
$68,906 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.2% (BLS county, Woodbury County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.