City · Crawford County, Iowa

Denison, Iowa

Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa. It has 8,260 residents. Denison, Iowa has a quality-of-life score of 51 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,688 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Iowa it ranks #269 of 281 cities and towns. It ranks best on average commute time (low), grocery stores (high) and public libraries (high). It ranks worst on mental health care shortage (high), public EV charging ports (low) and adult obesity (high).

51Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,688 of 15,651 cities and towns
Iowa: #269 of 281 in IA
Population: 8,260 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 1,262.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 1919945

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety88#1,864/15,637
Economy22#12,144/15,631
Housing87#1,913/14,977
Health43#8,916/15,609
Healthcare18#12,844/15,650
Environment84#2,537/15,453
Education13#13,537/15,649
Infrastructure47#8,337/15,650
Community29#11,104/15,651
Leisure & amenities84#2,454/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Denison, Iowa ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Crawford County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Average commute time · low12.7 min
99/100Iowa 19.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Grocery stores · high3.7 /10k
98/100Iowa 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCrawford County value
Public libraries · high3.7 /10k
97/100Iowa 1.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesCrawford County value
Property crime rate · low283 /100k
97/100Iowa 1,172 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCrawford County value
Mammography screening · high58.0%
97/100Iowa 57.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCrawford County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low101 min
96/100Iowa 128 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCrawford County value

Weaknesses

Mental health care shortage · high20.0
1/100Iowa 10.1United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationCrawford County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Iowa 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyCrawford County value
Adult obesity · high45.6%
4/100Iowa 39.7%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
4/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauCrawford County value
Physical inactivity · high36.7%
6/100Iowa 25.2%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Math scores · low2.55
6/100Iowa 3.03United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCrawford County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.1 /1k (2021) → 0.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+505%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.1% (2015-2019) → 89.7% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
High school diploma or higherImproving
67.8% (2015-2019) → 74.3% (2020-2024)
+6.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.7× (2015-2019) → 2.3× (2020-2024)
+32%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Unemployment rateImproving
10.8% (2015-2019) → 5.4% (2020-2024)
−5.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Income inequality (Gini index)Improving
0.572 (2015-2019) → 0.420 (2020-2024)
−27%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Denison, Iowa improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Inequality−0.1520.572 → 0.420
Broadband+16 points74.1% → 89.7%

Declined1

Price / income+0.6×1.7× → 2.3×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Denison, Iowa between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	13.8 min2015-2019	12.7 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Within the margin of error	61%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.3%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Broadband subscriptions	74.1%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	81%
Child poverty rate	21.0%2015-2019	18.4%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Effective property tax rate	1.91%2015-2019	1.61%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	75%
High school diploma or higher	67.8%2015-2019	74.3%2020-2024	+6.5 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Home price to income ratio	1.7×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	44%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5722015-2019	0.4202020-2024	−0.152	Improved	99%
Median household income	$54,1902015-2019	$65,6842020-2024	+21%	Within the margin of error	35%
Poverty rate	20.4%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Rent as share of income	22.4%2015-2019	23.3%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Rent-burdened households	33.0%2015-2019	37.5%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Unemployment rate	10.8%2015-2019	5.4%2020-2024	−5.4 points	Within the margin of error	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.3%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Denison, Iowa five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Denison, Iowa in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Denison, Iowa itself moved +4.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

8,260 residents (±24)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,091 households (±196)

Denison, Iowa
Iowa share

Under $25k19%577
$25k–50k21%†635
$50k–75k20%†603

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,091 households (±196)

Denison, Iowa
Iowa share

Own71%2,205
Rent29%886

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+15.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

4,035 workers (±309)

Denison, Iowa
Iowa share

Drive alone70%2,838
Carpool18%†718
Public transit3.5%†143

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Crawford County, the county holding most of Denison's residents.

Crawford County has 415 employer establishments, 257 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248; 0.99× Iowa's), with 5,121 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,876. The Census Bureau also counts 1,025 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 415; 1,025 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 257; US 248 · Iowa 259
Paid employees: 5,121
Average annual pay: $50,876; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Crawford County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	45	27.9	5.52×More than typical	230	$57,743	106
Specialty trade contractors	36	22.3	1.44×More than typical	189	$70,286	99
Restaurants and other eating places	24	14.9	0.81×About typical	250	$15,664	5
Ambulatory health care services	22	13.6	0.65×Fewer than typical	152	$46,599	25
Banks and credit unions	16	9.9	3.07×More than typical	123	$57,463	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	16	9.9	2.26×More than typical	46	$52,152	14
Religious organizations	14	8.7	1.56×More than typical	82	$19,098	—
Building equipment contractors	13	8.1	1.34×More than typical	41	$39,000	19
Full-service restaurants	13	8.1	1.05×About typical	69	$14,783	3
Gasoline stations	12	7.4	2.29×More than typical	183	$18,776	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	11	6.8	1.35×More than typical	51	$42,451	31
Construction of buildings	11	6.8	0.90×About typical	33	$35,485	42

Rank places for an industry Open Crawford County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 16,130 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $340.2K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Denison, Iowa: $41.19 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $340.2K; +9.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $41.19; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$340.2K100%

Top recipients

ODLE MANAGEMENT GROUP, L.L.C.$348.8K100%
HUMAN LEARNING SYSTEMS LLC-$8,5940.0%

Spending by fiscal year

574.2KFY2017
16KFY2018
4KFY2019
-17.7KFY2020
245.6KFY2021
431.6KFY2022
440.1KFY2023
390.4KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Technical and trade schools · 6115$340.2K100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Denison, Iowa, so they do not add up across cities.

Denison, Iowa's figures are part of those of Crawford County, IA ($8.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 4.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Denison is mostly in Crawford County.

See federal money in Crawford County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Denison, Iowa is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Randy FeenstraR-IA-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Crawford County69100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Crawford County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1919945

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends