Jobs, pay and daily life in Storm Lake, 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.
Storm Lake is a city in Iowa with 11,428 residents. The median household earns $62,765 a year and the median rent is $898 a month, which is 17.2% 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 Storm Lake compares. Among the 60 largest places in Iowa, Storm Lake is #35 by population, #55 for college degrees (#1 = most), #55 for remote work (#1 = most), #9 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Buena Vista County, is #34 of 99 counties for average pay ($53,893).
Storm Lake has 11,428 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Iowa. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,106 people per square mile. The median age is 30.9, 20% younger than the state median (30.9 against 38.6).
The median gross rent is $898 a month (rent plus utilities), 8% below the state median ($898 against $972). Over a year that is 17.2% 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 $172,200, which is 2.7 times the median household income ($62,765); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 66.3% of households own their home, 8% below the state average (66.3% against 71.7%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Buena Vista County was 2.6%. 70.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Buena Vista County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 68.0% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 6.1% walk, 4.3% work from home. 3.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 56% below the state average (3.6% against 8.2%).
18.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40% below the state share (18.9% against 31.4%). 30.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 412% above the state share (30.3% against 5.9%). The poverty rate is 7.0%, 37% below the state rate (7.0% against 11.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 19°F (-7.1°C). About 800 mm (31 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (121 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: Spencer (35 miles, rent 10% lower); Carroll (43 miles, rent 20% lower); Denison (44 miles, rent 19% lower); Le Mars (51 miles, rent 3% higher). Rent differences are against Storm Lake; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →State guide: IowaCountry guideBuena Vista 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 | 42.3% |
| Education and health care | 18.4% |
| Retail trade | 11.7% |
| Construction | 5.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 3.7% |
| Other services | 3.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.2% |
| Public administration | 2.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 0.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.8% |
| Information | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Storm Lake 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County | 20,753 | $1,938 million | $93,403 | 10,683 | 610 | $53,893 | -3.0% | 2.6% | 10,982 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,630 | 46.7% | $62,454 | 4.14 |
| Retail trade | 1,134 | 14.6% | $30,748 | 1.06 |
| Accommodation and food services | 778 | 10.0% | $16,168 | 0.80 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 449 | 5.8% | $68,872 | 5.19 |
| Construction | 379 | 4.9% | $83,337 | 0.68 |
| Wholesale trade | 262 | 3.4% | $82,725 | 0.62 |
| Finance and insurance | 255 | 3.3% | $75,283 | 0.59 |
| Administrative and waste services | 251 | 3.2% | $46,996 | 0.40 |
| Professional and technical services | 210 | 2.7% | $65,377 | 0.28 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 129 | 1.7% | $53,005 | 0.40 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 85 | 1.1% | $40,428 | 0.19 |
| Utilities | 52 | 0.7% | $111,418 | 1.28 |
| Information | 52 | 0.7% | $40,077 | 0.26 |
| Real estate and rental | 49 | 0.6% | $36,969 | 0.30 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 31 | 0.4% | $18,500 | 0.17 |
| Management of companies | 22 | 0.3% | $104,562 | 0.12 |
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 | 68.0% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 6.1% |
| Work from home | 4.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 3.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,765 |
| Income per person | $30,603 |
| Median gross rent per month | $898 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.2% |
| Median home value | $172,200 |
| Homeowners | 66.3% |
| Poverty rate | 7.0% |
| 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 | 30.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 72.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 18.9% |
| Born abroad | 30.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 70.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -7.1 | 19 | 19 |
| Feb | -5.5 | 22 | 25 |
| Mar | 2.0 | 36 | 43 |
| Apr | 9.2 | 49 | 82 |
| May | 15.5 | 60 | 109 |
| Jun | 21.6 | 71 | 121 |
| Jul | 24.2 | 76 | 87 |
| Aug | 22.6 | 73 | 106 |
| Sep | 18.2 | 65 | 81 |
| Oct | 9.7 | 49 | 61 |
| Nov | 2.5 | 36 | 34 |
| Dec | -4.4 | 24 | 32 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | IA | 35 mi | 11,400 | $59,667 | $805 |
| Carroll | IA | 43 mi | 10,208 | $69,706 | $722 |
| Denison | IA | 44 mi | 8,260 | $65,684 | $731 |
| Le Mars | IA | 51 mi | 10,640 | $74,701 | $929 |
| Fort Dodge | IA | 53 mi | 24,827 | $60,649 | $785 |
| Sioux Center | IA | 58 mi | 8,454 | $92,983 | n/a |
| Sioux City | IA | 62 mi | 86,101 | $68,906 | $976 |
| South Sioux City | NE | 63 mi | 13,907 | $68,223 | $1,127 |
| Dakota Dunes | SD | 66 mi | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| North Sioux City | SD | 66 mi | 3,045 | $71,908 | $1,098 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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11,428 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$898 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.2% of the median household income.
$62,765 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.6% (BLS county, Buena Vista County (latest month 2026M09)).
Iowa. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.