City · Iowa
Denison, Iowa
Denison, city, in Crawford County, Iowa. Denison had 8,214 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 8,373 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 8,260 (±24). GEOID 1919945.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
8,214
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 8,373 · ACS 2020-2024: 8,260 ±24
Median household income
$65,684
±$4,361 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$150,200
±$18,669 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$731
±$102 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Denison and what county is it in?
Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa. It covers 6.5 square miles of land, 1,280 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Denison, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 8,214 people lived in Denison on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 8,373 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 8,260 (±24).
| Measure | Denison | Crawford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 8,260 ±24 | 16,277 | −77 |
| Households | 3,091 ±196 | 6,331 | +301 |
| Average household size | 2.54 ±0.16 | 2.50 | −0.24 |
| Housing units | 3,251 ±151 | 6,869 | +328 |
Denison's population since 2000
From 7,339 in 2000 to 8,214 in 2025: up 11.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Denison as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Denison?
The median resident of Denison is 34.3 years old; 26.2% are under 18 and 13.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 48.8%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 42.9%. 30.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Denison | Crawford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 ±2.6 | 37.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.2% ±2.4 pts | 25.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.4% ±1.8 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Male | 50.7% ±1.7 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 48.8% ±4.2 pts | 30.8% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 42.9% ±4.1 pts | 62.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.3% ±1.2 pts | 2.2% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.5% ±1.5 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 30.9% ±4.6 pts | 17.5% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 43.6% ±3.7 pts | 27.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.5% ±2.3 pts | 6.7% | – |
| With a disability | 20.3% ±4.0 pts | 17.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.9% ±3.7 pts | 8.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 74.3% ±5.0 pts | 83.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.5% ±4.6 pts | 17.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.6% ±2.4 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.1% ±5.2 pts | 86.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.2% ±3.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Denison earn?
Half of Denison's 3,091 households earn less than $65,684 a year (±$4,361), against $67,027 in Crawford County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $66,691 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 17.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Denison | Crawford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,684 ±$4,361 | $67,027 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $80,818 ±$9,332 | $86,726 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,674 ±$2,954 | $34,517 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 17.5% ±4.6 pts | 14.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.4% ±8.9 pts | 20.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.1% ±6.4 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.8% ±2.9 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.7% ±3.6 pts | 87.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Denison?
Owners occupy 71.3% of Denison's occupied homes and renters 28.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $150,200 by its owner (±$18,669). The median renter pays $731 a month including utilities, and 33.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Denison | Crawford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $150,200 ±$18,669 | $153,700 | +$35,007 |
| Median gross rent | $731 ±$102 | $743 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.0% ±12.4 pts | 28.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,226 ±$130 | $1,275 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.3% ±5.9 pts | 76.0% | +15.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.7% ±5.9 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Housing units | 3,251 ±151 | 6,869 | +328 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.1% ±6.7 pts | 78.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.1% ±3.5 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.2% ±2.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.1% ±2.6 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 17.3% ±5.3 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±3.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Denison building?
Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Denison in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 0.6 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Denison work and get to work?
70.3% of Denison's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 12.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.4%.
| Measure | Denison | Crawford County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 67.1% ±4.3 pts | 66.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% ±3.1 pts | 3.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 70.3% ±7.8 pts | 76.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.8% ±6.1 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 3.5% ±2.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 2.7% ±3.0 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.3% ±3.0 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.7 min ±2.6 | 17.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Denison?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Denison (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $65,399 (Tract 704.02) to $66,827 (Tract 704.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 704.02Crawford County | 5,684 | $65,399 |
| Tract 704.01Crawford County | 3,022 | $66,827 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Denison) · Census block assignment files
How does Denison compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Denison is the 3,684th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 49th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Denison ranks 172nd of 279 places in Iowa with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 49th | 939 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 191st | 275 |
| Residents per square mile | 88th | 279 |
| Median household income | 172nd | 279 |
| Per capita income | 251st | 279 |
| Median home value | 180th | 279 |
| Median gross rent | 215th | 266 |
| Poverty rate | 28th | 232 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 238th | 279 |
| Median age | 246th | 279 |
| Owner-occupied share | 167th | 279 |
| Travel time to work | 268th | 279 |
Denison's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Denison with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Denison?
14 of the 57 figures for Denison on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Denison are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Denison.