City · Dakota County, Nebraska

Dakota City, Nebraska

Dakota City is a city in Dakota County, Nebraska, part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area. It has 2,675 residents. Dakota City, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 57 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #6,732 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Nebraska it ranks #109 of 119 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), average commute time (low) and depression (low). It ranks worst on primary care physicians (low), voter turnout (low) and bachelor's degree or higher (low).

57Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #6,732 of 15,651 cities and towns
Nebraska: #109 of 119 in NE
Population: 2,675 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,905.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 3112000

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 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.

Safety65#5,511/15,637
Economy52#7,438/15,631
Housing84#2,378/14,977
Health62#5,925/15,609
Healthcare32#10,720/15,650
Environment75#3,817/15,453
Education27#11,433/15,649
Infrastructure25#11,777/15,650
Community60#6,270/15,651
Leisure & amenities61#6,120/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Dakota City, Nebraska ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Dakota 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

Job growth · high5.6%
98/100Nebraska -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataDakota County value
Average commute time · low14.9 min
96/100Nebraska 19.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Depression · low16.2%
96/100Nebraska 18.7%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Grocery stores · high3.2 /10k
95/100Nebraska 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDakota County value
Loneliness · low32.9%
95/100Nebraska 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Injury deaths · low49 /100k
95/100Nebraska 66 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDakota County value

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low14 /100k
2/100Nebraska 76 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDakota County value
Voter turnout · low49.2%
4/100Nebraska 68.3%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionDakota County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low9.0%
5/100Nebraska 34.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Broadband subscriptions · low76.2%
9/100Nebraska 90.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Adult obesity · high43.1%
9/100Nebraska 39.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
11/100Nebraska 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDakota County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
2,032 (2015-2019) → 2,675 (2020-2024)
+32%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
47.3% (2015-2019) → 24.2% (2020-2024)
−23 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
27.0% (2015-2019) → 10.4% (2020-2024)
−17 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
29.0% (2015-2019) → 14.4% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Poverty rateImproving
15.4% (2015-2019) → 7.3% (2020-2024)
−8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
16.2% (2015-2019) → 9.0% (2020-2024)
−7.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

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, Dakota City, Nebraska improved on 1 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 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.

Improved1

Child poverty−17 points27.0% → 10.4%

Declined1

Bachelor's+−7.3 points16.2% → 9.0%

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Dakota City, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	13.7 min2015-2019	14.9 min2020-2024	+1.2 min	Within the margin of error	34%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.2%2015-2019	9.0%2020-2024	−7.3 points	Declined	4%
Broadband subscriptions	83.3%2015-2019	76.1%2020-2024	−7.1 points	Within the margin of error	1%
Child poverty rate	27.0%2015-2019	10.4%2020-2024	−17 points	Improved	91%
Effective property tax rate	1.72%2015-2019	1.42%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	74%
High school diploma or higher	78.0%2015-2019	78.4%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	51%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3562015-2019	0.3632020-2024	+0.008	Within the margin of error	44%
Median household income	$61,4532015-2019	$76,8062020-2024	+25%	Within the margin of error	44%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.3%2015-2019	11.1%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Within the margin of error	11%

“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 Dakota City, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Dakota City, Nebraska 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, Dakota City, Nebraska itself moved −11.3 points in standing on average over the same 8 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

2,675 residents (±430)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (+7.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,675 residents (±430)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

White52%1,394
Black0.1%†3
Hispanic or Latino38%†1,021

Education

1,661 residents (±260)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

No high school diploma22%†358
High school or GED40%671
Some college20%†332

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

742 households (±124)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k7.0%†52
$25k–50k22%†166
$50k–75k19%†140
$75k–100k16%†120
$100k–150k20%†145
$150k–200k5.7%†42
$200k or more10%†77

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−8.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

742 households (±124)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own81%603
Rent19%†139

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

132 households (±54)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $75054%†71
$750–1,00023%†30
$1,000–1,5009.8%†13

Home values

603 homes (±110)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $150k43%†259
$150k–250k33%†197
$250k–400k20%†122

Age of homes

756 homes (±126)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

2010 or later6.2%†47
2000–20093.4%†26
1980–199927%†207

Size of homes

756 homes (±126)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Studio2.6%†20
1 bedroom4.8%†36
2 bedrooms22%†170

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,284 workers (±274)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone77%988
Carpool16%†209
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.6%†20
Bike0.0%0
Work from home4.7%†60
Other0.5%†7

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+3.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,224 workers (±274)

Dakota City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under 15 min48%593
15–29 min41%503
30–44 min6.4%†78

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

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 Dakota County, the county holding most of Dakota City's residents.

Dakota County has 427 employer establishments, 200 for every 10,000 residents (0.81× the US rate of 248; 0.71× Nebraska's), with 12,034 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,716. The Census Bureau also counts 1,514 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 427; 1,514 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 200; US 248 · Nebraska 284
Paid employees: 12,034
Average annual pay: $57,716; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	37	17.4	1.12×About typical	421	$79,249	118
Restaurants and other eating places	36	16.9	0.92×About typical	389	$18,949	22
Ambulatory health care services	25	11.7	0.56×Fewer than typical	308	$57,081	15
Truck transportation	25	11.7	2.32×More than typical	1,449	$58,738	280
Automotive repair and maintenance	17	8	1.58×More than typical	70	$39,300	37
Full-service restaurants	16	7.5	0.98×About typical	77	$25,584	10
Limited-service restaurants	16	7.5	0.94×About typical	280	$17,586	9
Building equipment contractors	14	6.6	1.09×About typical	180	$70,811	16
Lessors of real estate	14	6.6	0.53×Fewer than typical	43	$54,070	126
Motor vehicle dealers	13	6.1	4.37×More than typical	40	$37,800	15
Services to buildings and dwellings	13	6.1	0.90×About typical	247	$41,320	89
Offices of other health practitioners	12	5.6	0.93×About typical	49	$43,265	8

Rank places for an industry Open Dakota County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 21,307 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Dakota City, Nebraska: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

1.1KFY2017
534FY2018
613.4FY2020
0FY2021
2.4KFY2023
434.9FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 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 Dakota City, Nebraska, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Dakota 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.

Dakota City, Nebraska is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Adrian SmithR-NE-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%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.

Dakota County68100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Sioux City, IA-NE-SD81

Other cities and towns in Dakota 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/3112000