Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety34#607/924
Economy66#319/925
Housing83#156/925
Health43#525/925
Healthcare87#121/923
Environment66#311/917
Education54#422/925
Infrastructure51#450/925
Community70#280/925
Leisure & amenities66#315/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Public libraries · high2.5 /10k
98/100Iowa 1.8 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low1%
95/100Iowa 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.2×
94/100Iowa 2.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Distance to an emergency room · low3.9 mi
93/100Iowa 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
91/100Iowa 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · high55.0%
89/100Iowa 57.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Violent crime rate · high749 /100k
2/100Iowa 234 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,089 /100k
9/100Iowa 1,172 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high42.2%
11/100Iowa 39.7%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.39%
12/100Iowa 1.33%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Drug overdose deaths · high27.4 /100k
14/100Iowa 9.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high2.2%
16/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
59% (2021) → 1% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−59 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedImproving
0.8 /1k (2021) → 2.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+228%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drug overdose deathsWorsening
15.4 /100k (2021) → 27.4 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
+78%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
70.7% (2010 & 2021) → 83.6% (2022 & 2024)
+13 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.9% (2015-2019) → 87.3% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New business applicationsImproving
6.2 /1k (2020) → 9.6 /1k (2025)
+55%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

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, Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area improved on 13 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Household income+45%$47,466 → $68,975
Traffic deaths−41%20.2 /100k → 11.9 /100k
Pharmacies+13%2.2 /10k → 2.4 /10k
Homicides−67%7.5 /100k → 2.5 /100k
Firearm deaths−22%12.5 /100k → 9.8 /100k

Declined5

Overdose deaths+195%9.3 /100k → 27.4 /100k
Commute+3.5 min16.7 min → 20.2 min
Grocery stores−28%1.9 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Violent crime+25%598 /100k → 749 /100k
Restaurants−17%11.1 /10k → 9.2 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.8 /10k2020	4.3 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	65%
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	20.2 min2020-2024	+3.5 min	Declined	3%
Average weekly wage	$9482020	$1,1272025	+19%	Improved	15%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.9%2015-2019	22.0%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Broadband subscriptions	75.9%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	74%
Child poverty rate	16.8%2015-2019	14.5%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Distance to an airport	71 mi2020	71 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	9.3 /100k2020	27.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+195%	Declined	1%
Effective property tax rate	1.55%2015-2019	1.39%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	62%
Firearm deaths	12.5 /100k2020	9.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−22%	Improved	84%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−28%	Declined	4%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+0.4%	Little change	44%
High school diploma or higher	90.5%2015-2019	93.0%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	86%
Homicide rate	7.5 /100k2020	2.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−67%	Improved	88%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,2252019	$65,9692024	+29%	Improved	27%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4462015-2019	0.4432020-2024	−0.003	Within the margin of error	64%
Median household income	$47,4662015-2019	$68,9752020-2024	+45%	Improved	98%
New business applications	6.2 /1k2020	9.6 /1k2025	+55%	Improved	64%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	91%
Poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	12.9%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Property crime rate	2,801 /100k2020	2,089 /100k2025	−25%	Improved	33%
Public libraries	2.5 /10k2019	2.4 /10k2024	−2.2%	Little change	45%
Rent as share of income	25.0%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Rent-burdened households	39.7%2015-2019	40.2%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Restaurants and bars	11.1 /10k2020	9.2 /10k2025	−17%	Declined	5%
Suicide rate	17.1 /100k2020	15.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	80%
Traffic deaths	20.2 /100k2015-2019	11.9 /100k2020-2024	−41%	Improved	97%
Unemployment rate	5.5%2020	3.6%2025	−1.9 points	Improved	19%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.6%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Violent crime rate	598 /100k2020	749 /100k2025	+25%	Declined	10%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area 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, Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area itself moved +0.2 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

36,886 residents

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

15,375 households (±369)

Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%2,751
$25k–50k21%3,247
$50k–75k17%2,558

Homes

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

Owners and renters

15,375 households (±369)

Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Own70%10,815
Rent30%4,560

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

17,536 workers (±592)

Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone83%14,499
Carpool7.5%1,313
Public transit0.3%†46

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 no occupation wages for Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area.

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.

Fort Dodge, IA has 997 employer establishments, 272 for every 10,000 residents (1.10× the US rate of 248), with 16,146 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,054. The Census Bureau also counts 2,134 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 997; 2,134 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 272; US 248
Paid employees: 16,146
Average annual pay: $49,054; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Fort Dodge, IA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	74	20.2	1.30×More than typical	568	$74,871	156
Ambulatory health care services	72	19.6	0.94×About typical	574	$77,753	79
Restaurants and other eating places	53	14.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,149	$16,842	7
Truck transportation	48	13.1	2.59×More than typical	2,857	$37,543	75
Religious organizations	37	10.1	1.82×More than typical	240	$25,463	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	35	9.5	2.17×More than typical	120	$58,433	42
Automotive repair and maintenance	34	9.3	1.84×More than typical	169	$46,118	45
Lessors of real estate	31	8.5	0.69×Fewer than typical	59	$61,763	283
Building equipment contractors	29	7.9	1.31×More than typical	399	$75,930	15
Offices of other health practitioners	27	7.4	1.21×About typical	99	$53,707	23
Full-service restaurants	25	6.8	0.89×About typical	479	$17,200	—
Gasoline stations	25	6.8	2.10×More than typical	276	$25,739	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 36,666 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $135.6K on contracts performed in Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area: $3.68 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $135.6K; +888% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3.68; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; 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

JOSEPHSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY$113K83%
MARKOV ENTERPRISES LLC$17.1K13%
DLLC - DUPREE LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE LLC$5,6134.1%
AES ASSET ACQUISITION CORPORATION$4,6463.4%
KOMPLETE SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS, INC.-$4,7850.0%

Spending by fiscal year

105.9KFY2017
3.7MFY2018
876.4KFY2019
149.6KFY2020
-113.5KFY2021
132.5KFY2022
200.1KFY2023
636KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Ventilation, heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment manufacturing · 3334$110.6K82%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$17.1K13%
Waste treatment and disposal · 5622$4,6463.4%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$2,4081.8%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$8280.6%

Largest awards

CALL 27 COVERS: FIA DATA COLLECTION WORK IN EAST UP MICHIGAN.$123.2K
MARKOV ENTERPRISES LLC· Webster County, IA· Research & development· Sep 20, 2024 – Feb 24, 2026· 12444824F0096
8511697838!MANIFOLD,FLUID COOL$40.6K
JOSEPHSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY· Webster County, IA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Oct 10, 2025 – Oct 10, 2025· SPE7M126V0599
8511644606!RADIATOR$30K
JOSEPHSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY· Webster County, IA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 16, 2025 – Nov 14, 2025· SPE4A725PF779
8511227037!MANIFOLD,FLUID COOL

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $255.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area: $6,934 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $255.4M; −13% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,934; US $12,955
Loan face value: $3.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 5.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$148.5M58%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$19.5M7.6%

Counties in Fort Dodge, IA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Webster CountyCentral county7236,838

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Fort DodgePrincipal city24,827

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Areas based in Iowa, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Ames, IA91

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M22700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Fort Dodge, IA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Fort Dodge, IA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates