Dickinson County, Iowa Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Dickinson County, Iowa, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Dickinson County, Iowa. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Dickinson County, Iowa. The estimated population of Dickinson County, Iowa is 17,536 people, with a median age of 47.8.

We can look at the total population in Dickinson County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
17,536
+1.6%
+3.15%
2020
17,260
+0.78%
-
2019
17,127
+0.42%
-
2018
17,056
+0.33%
-
2017
17,000
 - -

Population of Dickinson County, Iowa by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
94.4%
96.1%
 -1.77%
Black/African American
0.1%
0.5%
 -80.00%
Native
0.1%
0.3%
 -66.67%
Hispanic
2.4%
1.9%
 +26.32%
Asian
0.9%
0.4%
 +125.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.1%
0.7%
 +200.00%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Dickinson County, Iowa by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 47.8 -0.83% 46.4 -0.43% 49.5 -1.59%
2020 48.2 -0.41% 46.6 -0.21% 50.3 -0.79%
2019 48.4 0% 46.7 +0.43% 50.7 0%
2018 48.4 -0.62% 46.5 0% 50.7 -0.2%
2017 48.7 - 46.5 - 50.8 -

The median age of Dickinson County, Iowa gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 907 +4.34% 829 +13.73% 946 936
10 to 19 989 +6.41% 813 +0.67% 1,052 816
20 to 29 858 -4.82% 772 +2.49% 817 791
30 to 39 1,080 -5.44% 916 -5.21% 1,007 855
40 to 49 829 +15.03% 820 +22.98% 956 1,003
50 to 59 1,223 +2.24% 1,360 -13.59% 1,245 1,181
60 to 69 1,402 -2.74% 1,392 +10.08% 1,363 1,537
70+ 1,259 +10.42% 1,551 +5.53% 1,395 1,636

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Dickinson County, Iowa is $65,215.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Dickinson County.

  • Under 25
    $44,007.00
  • 25 to 44
    $69,175.00
  • 45 to 64
    $77,523.00
  • 65 and over
    $56,502.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Dickinson County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Dickinson County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Dickinson County, Iowa is currently $85,749.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.74% of households in Dickinson County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Dickinson County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    12.38%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.15%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    21.89%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.51%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    15.28%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    6.05%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.74%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Dickinson County is $39,594.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Dickinson County by the total population of Dickinson County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Dickinson County, Iowa, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Dickinson County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    7.23%
  • Bachelor's degree
    40.18%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.58%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    39.02%
  • Less than high school diploma
    0.99%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Dickinson County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Dickinson County over the age of 16 is 14,550.

Of those people, a total of 65.40% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Dickinson County is 63.80%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 764 53.70% 11.20%
20 to 24 years 788 88.80% 5.10%
25 to 29 years 820 97.20% 2.40%
30 to 34 years 941 93.50% 3.30%
35 to 44 years 1,925 88.20% 0.80%
45 to 54 years 1,991 86.00% 2.10%
55 to 59 years 1,390 77.20% 3.00%
60 to 64 years 1,389 73.10% 0.90%
65 to 74 years 2,661 39.40% 0.80%
75 years and over 1,881 9.90% 2.20%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Dickinson County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 13,986 65.40% 2.30%
Black or African American 14 85.70% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 17 94.10% 6.30%
Asian 153 18.30% 14.30%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 73 100.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 307 78.20% 6.70%
Hispanic or Latino 258 93.80% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 13,882 65.20% 2.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Dickinson County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Dickinson County is 9,279, with median earnings of $36,999.00.

Women in Dickinson County, Iowa earning approximately 71.40% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 9,279 $36,999.00
Male 4,926 $44,558.00
Female 4,353 $31,793.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 1,096 $62,000.00
Business and Financial 404 $50,729.00
Computer and Mathematical 52 $66,563.00
Architecture and Engineering 223 $67,396.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 21 $68,194.00
Community and Social Service 165 $37,639.00
Legal 70 $55,000.00
Educational and Library 423 $22,015.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 74 $43,333.00
Healthcare Practitioners 605 $54,432.00
Healthcare Support 249 $25,125.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 30 $2,500.00
Law Enforcement 50 $71,333.00
Food Preparation and Serving 312 $14,000.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 507 $19,821.00
Personal Care and Service 353 $29,339.00
Sales 928 $37,391.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,235 $33,197.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 73 $13,750.00
Construction and Extraction 533 $34,926.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 352 $52,541.00
Production 817 $34,496.00
Transportation and Material Moving 362 $39,063.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 678 $81,364.00 418 $35,000.00
Business and Financial 112 $31,250.00 292 $51,141.00
Computer and Mathematical 34 $75,938.00 18 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 191 $64,915.00 32 $70,833.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 17 $67,639.00 4 $0.00
Community and Social Service 57 $60,574.00 108 $33,690.00
Legal 15 $134,531.00 55 $54,375.00
Educational and Library 48 $46,250.00 375 $21,913.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 29 $50,486.00 45 $27,321.00
Healthcare Practitioners 145 $70,069.00 460 $34,944.00
Healthcare Support 26 $27,885.00 223 $24,844.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 30 $2,500.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 44 $71,833.00 6 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 143 $12,650.00 169 $20,114.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 309 $27,639.00 198 $11,293.00
Personal Care and Service 167 $29,540.00 186 $27,100.00
Sales 548 $47,121.00 380 $22,625.00
Office and Administrative Support 204 $36,324.00 1,031 $32,202.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 56 $22,500.00 17 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 522 $35,962.00 11 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 352 $52,541.00 0 $0.00
Production 589 $39,851.00 228 $31,364.00
Transportation and Material Moving 350 $39,167.00 12 $16,667.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 8,096 households in Dickinson County, with an average household size of 2.14 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 4,799 families in Dickinson County with an average family size of 2.76 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 4,116 201 482 3,297
Average Household Size 2.77 3.31 3.06 1.16
Total Families 4,116 201 482 0
Average Household Size 2.76 2.71 2.8 0

Poverty

Of the 4,799 families in Dickinson County, 3.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Dickinson County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 13,651 housing units in Dickinson County, Iowa.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 8,096 59.31%
Vacant 5,555 40.69%

11.08% of the total 13,651 housing units in Dickinson County are rental units. This is approximately 1,512 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 6,328 are occupied by the owner - or 46.36% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Dickinson County is $872.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Dickinson County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    256
  • Less than $500
    136
  • $500 to $999
    1,047
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    177
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    24
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    94
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    19
  • $3,000 or more
    15

Property Value

The median value of a property in Dickinson County is $211,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Dickinson County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    312
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    647
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    931
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,072
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,464
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    1,029
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    580
  • $1,000,000 or more
    293

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Dickinson County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Dickinson County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    2,274
  • 1940 to 1949
    596
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,015
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,494
  • 1970 to 1979
    2,134
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,019
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,546
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,440
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,113
  • 2014 or later
    20

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Dickinson County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    327
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,534
  • 2 vehicles available
    3,262
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,973

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Dickinson County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Dickinson County that commute to work in a particular way.

16.2 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Dickinson County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    676
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    2,254
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,556
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,510
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    825
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    293
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    598
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    108
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    128
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    216
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    96
  • 90 or more minutes
    122

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Dickinson County, Iowa in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Dickinson County, Iowa

We have data for 18 places in Dickinson County, Iowa. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.