City · Dakota County, Nebraska

South Sioux City, Nebraska

South Sioux City is a city in Dakota County, Nebraska, part of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area. It has 13,907 residents. South Sioux City, Nebraska has a quality-of-life score of 57 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #6,706 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Nebraska it ranks #108 of 119 cities and towns. It ranks best on average commute time (low), job growth (high) and depression (low). It ranks worst on primary care physicians (low), voter turnout (low) and adult obesity (high).

57Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #6,706 of 15,651 cities and towns
Nebraska: #108 of 119 in NE
Population: 13,907 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 2,040.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 3146030

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
Economy38#9,665/15,631
Housing76#3,585/14,977
Health58#6,611/15,609
Healthcare33#10,432/15,650
Environment75#3,806/15,453
Education35#10,186/15,649
Infrastructure43#8,854/15,650
Community59#6,419/15,651
Leisure & amenities61#6,120/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where South Sioux 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

Average commute time · low12.2 min
100/100Nebraska 19.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Job growth · high5.6%
98/100Nebraska -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataDakota County value
Depression · low15.5%
97/100Nebraska 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
Injury deaths · low49 /100k
95/100Nebraska 66 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDakota County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Nebraska 2.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataDakota 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
Adult obesity · high45.2%
4/100Nebraska 39.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Physical inactivity · high33.9%
11/100Nebraska 26.3%United States 26.5%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
New business applications · low8.7 /1k
12/100Nebraska 11.3 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauDakota County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
12,896 (2015-2019) → 13,907 (2020-2024)
+7.8%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
1.2 /1k (2021) → 2.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+98%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
32.8% (2015-2019) → 47.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.6% (2015-2019) → 88.3% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
24.7% (2015-2019) → 14.2% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
17.3% (2015-2019) → 9.6% (2020-2024)
−7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, South Sioux City, Nebraska improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 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.

Improved4

Uninsured−7.7 points17.3% → 9.6%
Child poverty−10 points24.7% → 14.2%
Broadband+13 points75.6% → 88.3%
Household income+24%$54,806 → $68,223

Declined1

Price / income+0.4×2.1× → 2.6×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of South Sioux City, Nebraska between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	14.4 min2015-2019	12.2 min2020-2024	−2.3 min	Within the margin of error	73%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.6%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Broadband subscriptions	75.6%2015-2019	88.3%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	72%
Child poverty rate	24.7%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	−10 points	Improved	83%
Effective property tax rate	1.64%2015-2019	1.47%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	53%
High school diploma or higher	73.3%2015-2019	74.7%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	52%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3912015-2019	0.3932020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	48%
Median household income	$54,8062015-2019	$68,2232020-2024	+24%	Improved	43%
Poverty rate	17.3%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−5 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent as share of income	23.2%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+5.6 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Rent-burdened households	32.8%2015-2019	47.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Unemployment rate	3.9%2015-2019	5.0%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.3%2015-2019	9.6%2020-2024	−7.7 points	Improved	93%

“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 South Sioux City, Nebraska five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of South Sioux 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, South Sioux City, Nebraska itself moved −6.3 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

13,907 residents (±22)

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

4,766 households (±172)

South Sioux City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Under $25k11%†543
$25k–50k19%913
$50k–75k26%1,242

Homes

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

Owners and renters

4,766 households (±172)

South Sioux City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Own56%2,665
Rent44%2,101

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

6,693 workers (±401)

South Sioux City, Nebraska
Nebraska share

Drive alone73%4,879
Carpool16%1,078
Public transit0.8%†56

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 South Sioux 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 South Sioux City, Nebraska: $0 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $2,007
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.7%

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

19.2KFY2017
1.9KFY2018
10.8KFY2020
14.6KFY2023
7.7KFY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 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 South Sioux City, Nebraska, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: South Sioux 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.

South Sioux 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/3146030

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends