The county economy 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.
Delaware County is a county of Iowa with 17,558 residents. Its economy produced $1,257 million in 2024 (ranked #36 of 99 counties) and had 6,669 jobs with an average annual pay of $53,287 (#38 for pay). The unemployment rate was 2.5% in 2026M09.
Delaware County produced about $1,257 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.5% of the combined output of the 99 counties of Iowa that BEA reports (about 0.5% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 36th of 99 on that measure. Per resident that is $71,592, 14% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $82,789. In current dollars output grew 4.8% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (36th) and its output-per-resident rank (49th) shows that population is large relative to the value of what is produced here.
BLS counts 6,669 jobs located in Delaware County on average in 2024, spread over 606 employer sites (about 11 jobs per site). That is 0.38 jobs for every resident, below the 0.40 of the typical county in Iowa, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $53,287, 13% below the average of all counties in the state ($53,287 against $61,193). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 2.4% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are manufacturing (38.1% of private jobs, $69,210 a year on average), retail trade (16.7% of private jobs, $31,263 a year on average), wholesale trade (10.1% of private jobs, $65,582 a year on average). Together they hold 64.9% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is finance and insurance at $74,814 a year, followed by manufacturing ($69,210). The county is specialised in an industry: manufacturing (3.1 times the US share, 1,694 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($31,263), accommodation and food services ($14,404). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Delaware County was 2.5%, 23% below the average of the state's counties (2.5% against 3.2%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 10,372. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 2.1% (2026M04) to 4.5% (2026M01); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $74,989 (ACS 2020–2024), about the same as the state median ($74,989 against $75,059). None of the largest places of the guide has this as its main county, which usually means a smaller or more rural county; the figures above still describe the whole county.
Counties close to Delaware County in output are Boone County, Iowa County, O'Brien County, Wright County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 99 counties of Iowa ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,558 | 40 of 99 |
| GDP 2024 | $1,257 million | 36 of 99 |
| GDP per resident | $71,592 | 49 of 99 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 6,669 | 38 of 99 |
| Average annual pay | $53,287 | 38 of 99 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +2.4% | 11 of 99 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 2.5% | 19 of 99 |
| Median household income | $74,989 | 28 of 99 |
Federal jobs in Iowa (226) →All cities of IowaState guide: Iowa
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.
None of the 60 largest places of Iowa has this as its main county, so the guide has no city page here. County figures on the other tabs are complete.
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,694 | 38.1% | $69,210 | 3.09 |
| Retail trade | 742 | 16.7% | $31,263 | 1.11 |
| Wholesale trade | 448 | 10.1% | $65,582 | 1.70 |
| Construction | 375 | 8.4% | $60,379 | 1.07 |
| Accommodation and food services | 336 | 7.6% | $14,404 | 0.55 |
| Finance and insurance | 262 | 5.9% | $74,814 | 0.97 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 178 | 4.0% | $34,424 | 0.89 |
| Professional and technical services | 126 | 2.8% | $70,629 | 0.27 |
| Administrative and waste services | 111 | 2.5% | $44,345 | 0.28 |
| Real estate and rental | 63 | 1.4% | $62,670 | 0.61 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 52 | 1.2% | $18,243 | 0.46 |
| Information | 41 | 0.9% | $54,080 | 0.33 |
| Management of companies | 19 | 0.4% | $88,098 | 0.17 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 10,372 |
| Employed residents | 10,116 |
| Unemployed residents | 256 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 6,669 |
| Employer sites | 606 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 503,175 | $63,823 million | $126,841 | 317,845 | $72,557 | 3.4% |
| Linn County | 230,004 | $21,899 million | $95,212 | 125,917 | $67,613 | 3.5% |
| Scott County | 174,608 | $13,291 million | $76,117 | 90,947 | $61,138 | 4.6% |
| Johnson County | 156,639 | $12,640 million | $80,696 | 83,750 | $64,363 | 2.8% |
| Black Hawk County | 131,049 | $10,039 million | $76,607 | 70,886 | $59,631 | 3.6% |
| Dallas County | 107,968 | $11,107 million | $102,869 | 55,258 | $76,316 | 3.0% |
| Woodbury County | 106,247 | $7,028 million | $66,147 | 51,281 | $54,684 | 3.2% |
| Story County | 100,466 | $7,790 million | $77,540 | 47,549 | $62,615 | 3.1% |
| Dubuque County | 99,030 | $9,160 million | $92,496 | 58,413 | $58,669 | 3.1% |
| Pottawattamie County | 93,424 | $6,263 million | $67,041 | 41,403 | $56,397 | 3.4% |
| Warren County | 54,409 | $1,885 million | $34,652 | 13,125 | $51,236 | 3.0% |
| Clinton County | 46,268 | $2,951 million | $63,771 | 19,273 | $52,714 | 4.6% |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,632 | $3,729 million | $87,481 | 23,531 | $54,949 | 3.0% |
| Muscatine County | 42,559 | $3,242 million | $76,179 | 21,234 | $63,594 | 3.6% |
| Marshall County | 40,114 | $2,317 million | $57,755 | 16,042 | $55,625 | 4.7% |
| Des Moines County | 38,487 | $2,924 million | $75,970 | 19,833 | $52,718 | 4.2% |
| Jasper County | 37,954 | $1,523 million | $40,127 | 10,453 | $49,910 | 3.2% |
| Webster County | 36,886 | $2,759 million | $74,800 | 17,547 | $56,709 | 3.3% |
| Sioux County | 36,212 | $3,920 million | $108,253 | 22,957 | $55,762 | 2.1% |
| Wapello County | 35,362 | $2,160 million | $61,077 | 15,384 | $53,071 | 4.1% |
| Marion County | 33,642 | $2,878 million | $85,537 | 19,680 | $63,553 | 2.6% |
| Lee County | 32,893 | $2,264 million | $68,815 | 13,719 | $57,333 | 3.5% |
| Boone County | 26,668 | $1,293 million | $48,500 | 8,930 | $53,922 | 2.4% |
| Plymouth County | 25,747 | $1,997 million | $77,565 | 11,726 | $59,524 | 2.7% |
| Benton County | 25,724 | $1,137 million | $44,205 | 6,069 | $54,216 | 2.9% |
| Bremer County | 25,204 | $1,581 million | $62,717 | 9,685 | $52,555 | 3.0% |
| Washington County | 22,561 | $1,863 million | $82,594 | 8,558 | $48,539 | 2.4% |
| Mahaska County | 22,021 | $1,192 million | $54,134 | 7,887 | $55,503 | 2.5% |
| Jones County | 20,896 | $858 million | $41,073 | 6,253 | $50,095 | 3.2% |
| Buena Vista County | 20,753 | $1,938 million | $93,403 | 10,683 | $53,893 | 2.6% |
| Buchanan County | 20,694 | $1,087 million | $52,528 | 6,619 | $50,047 | 2.9% |
| Carroll County | 20,594 | $1,837 million | $89,215 | 10,978 | $50,662 | 2.4% |
| Henry County | 20,004 | $1,154 million | $57,669 | 8,137 | $52,431 | 3.5% |
| Winneshiek County | 19,873 | $1,354 million | $68,120 | 10,479 | $51,439 | 2.4% |
| Jackson County | 19,390 | $907 million | $46,760 | 5,869 | $45,236 | 3.7% |
| Fayette County | 19,288 | $1,075 million | $55,734 | 6,964 | $48,847 | 3.1% |
| Poweshiek County | 18,545 | $1,654 million | $89,201 | 9,584 | $57,595 | 2.6% |
| Cedar County | 18,349 | $811 million | $44,225 | 5,170 | $49,261 | 2.7% |
| Dickinson County | 17,990 | $1,529 million | $85,004 | 10,008 | $46,626 | 2.8% |
| Delaware County | 17,558 | $1,257 million | $71,592 | 6,669 | $53,287 | 2.5% |
| Clayton County | 17,013 | $1,177 million | $69,171 | 6,230 | $51,349 | 2.8% |
| Madison County | 16,926 | $684 million | $40,428 | 4,235 | $50,189 | 2.8% |
| Tama County | 16,868 | $848 million | $50,264 | 5,356 | $48,774 | 3.9% |
| Hardin County | 16,639 | $1,142 million | $68,641 | 6,483 | $54,065 | 2.8% |
| Iowa County | 16,507 | $1,274 million | $77,189 | 9,039 | $50,380 | 2.9% |
| Clay County | 16,461 | $1,540 million | $93,550 | 8,534 | $53,504 | 2.7% |
| Crawford County | 16,277 | $1,117 million | $68,631 | 6,524 | $53,067 | 3.7% |
| Jefferson County | 15,705 | $911 million | $58,026 | 7,185 | $53,535 | 3.3% |
| Floyd County | 15,328 | $1,165 million | $76,031 | 5,716 | $54,987 | 3.2% |
| Page County | 15,131 | $811 million | $53,570 | 6,375 | $50,462 | 2.5% |
| Hamilton County | 14,886 | $1,116 million | $75,003 | 5,798 | $52,922 | 2.5% |
| Harrison County | 14,632 | $675 million | $46,107 | 3,990 | $50,182 | 2.7% |
| Mills County | 14,568 | $645 million | $44,296 | 3,361 | $55,050 | 2.8% |
| Kossuth County | 14,516 | $1,399 million | $96,357 | 6,565 | $52,766 | 2.9% |
| Butler County | 14,268 | $705 million | $49,431 | 3,691 | $53,211 | 3.1% |
| O'Brien County | 14,126 | $1,250 million | $88,506 | 6,603 | $48,407 | 2.2% |
| Allamakee County | 14,092 | $780 million | $55,365 | 4,837 | $45,815 | 3.2% |
| Cass County | 13,096 | $991 million | $75,664 | 5,866 | $49,005 | 2.7% |
| Wright County | 12,791 | $1,247 million | $97,461 | 6,237 | $58,576 | 2.5% |
| Grundy County | 12,384 | $732 million | $59,082 | 4,147 | $58,116 | 2.8% |
| Appanoose County | 12,184 | $518 million | $42,555 | 4,614 | $46,114 | 3.9% |
| Lyon County | 12,162 | $1,425 million | $117,199 | 4,794 | $49,696 | 2.1% |
| Union County | 11,993 | $965 million | $80,452 | 5,910 | $50,030 | 3.0% |
| Chickasaw County | 11,807 | $1,087 million | $92,084 | 5,115 | $55,425 | 2.5% |
| Shelby County | 11,778 | $1,051 million | $89,236 | 5,460 | $51,072 | 2.4% |
| Cherokee County | 11,600 | $1,087 million | $93,687 | 4,858 | $50,452 | 2.2% |
| Guthrie County | 10,688 | $753 million | $70,410 | 3,271 | $54,155 | 2.7% |
| Louisa County | 10,678 | $930 million | $87,134 | 3,891 | $52,348 | 3.0% |
| Hancock County | 10,671 | $1,204 million | $112,831 | 5,982 | $59,900 | 2.6% |
| Winnebago County | 10,583 | $690 million | $65,205 | 4,041 | $47,021 | 3.1% |
| Mitchell County | 10,575 | $995 million | $94,068 | 3,874 | $53,933 | 2.6% |
| Montgomery County | 10,214 | $557 million | $54,551 | 4,087 | $51,354 | 2.7% |
| Franklin County | 9,956 | $790 million | $79,331 | 3,982 | $53,225 | 3.2% |
| Keokuk County | 9,924 | $443 million | $44,596 | 2,292 | $47,453 | 2.8% |
| Calhoun County | 9,803 | $560 million | $57,117 | 2,788 | $48,076 | 2.6% |
| Sac County | 9,689 | $794 million | $81,920 | 2,969 | $50,518 | 2.4% |
| Clarke County | 9,662 | $639 million | $66,122 | 4,701 | $49,976 | 2.5% |
| Humboldt County | 9,591 | $598 million | $62,370 | 3,810 | $52,721 | 2.6% |
| Howard County | 9,445 | $727 million | $77,010 | 4,402 | $48,223 | 2.6% |
| Emmet County | 9,262 | $519 million | $56,044 | 3,286 | $48,094 | 3.2% |
| Davis County | 9,157 | $407 million | $44,484 | 2,105 | $50,645 | 3.5% |
| Palo Alto County | 8,863 | $796 million | $89,845 | 3,615 | $47,406 | 2.4% |
| Lucas County | 8,716 | $362 million | $41,582 | 3,351 | $50,709 | 3.5% |
| Greene County | 8,688 | $721 million | $82,961 | 3,206 | $53,866 | 3.3% |
| Monona County | 8,557 | $462 million | $53,992 | 2,530 | $45,733 | 2.7% |
| Decatur County | 7,759 | $278 million | $35,775 | 2,269 | $42,983 | 3.3% |
| Monroe County | 7,513 | $619 million | $82,386 | 3,718 | $66,659 | 3.0% |
| Adair County | 7,460 | $663 million | $88,814 | 3,038 | $53,135 | 1.9% |
| Worth County | 7,350 | $485 million | $65,986 | 2,302 | $46,458 | 2.4% |
| Van Buren County | 7,241 | $295 million | $40,740 | 1,923 | $46,260 | 2.9% |
| Pocahontas County | 7,046 | $642 million | $91,070 | 2,644 | $52,766 | 2.7% |
| Ida County | 6,911 | $746 million | $107,888 | 3,584 | $60,392 | 2.5% |
| Wayne County | 6,532 | $316 million | $48,451 | 2,099 | $50,332 | 2.6% |
| Fremont County | 6,514 | $394 million | $60,493 | 2,197 | $48,228 | 2.7% |
| Osceola County | 6,100 | $602 million | $98,706 | 2,676 | $49,894 | 1.9% |
| Taylor County | 5,868 | $376 million | $64,051 | 2,030 | $51,564 | 2.2% |
| Audubon County | 5,599 | $473 million | $84,400 | 1,833 | $50,592 | 2.2% |
| Ringgold County | 4,645 | $234 million | $50,312 | 1,394 | $46,230 | 2.3% |
| Adams County | 3,622 | $266 million | $73,414 | 1,187 | $49,596 | 2.2% |
17,558 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$1,257 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
2.5% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
6,669 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $53,287 (BLS QCEW).