1936 · Cigar store Indian · Library of Congress
Denison’s story
Denison in pictures
5 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 7 places on the National Register.
DenisonIA
A town of 8,260. Healthier than 86% of U.S. towns.
Photo: Billwhittaker (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
8,260
+0.9% since 2010
Typical home
$183K
+2% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
4,976
Balanced
What makes Denison stand out
The 3 things Denison does most differently from other towns.
100 U.S. towns● Denison
Health
86% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than IA on 1 measures, worse on 18.
Outdoors
#43 most conserved land in IA
2.8 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves
5.1% of the town is conserved land.
$183Ktypical home
Housing
$183K typical home
24% below the IA typical home
Up 2% in a year.
Denison’s report card
Commute2 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthDHealthier than 14% of U.S. townsOutdoors3 miof trails · 5.1% conservedHousing$183K24% below the IA typical homeSchoolsCBeats 30% of IA districtsSafetyB+Less crime than 68% of U.S. townsClimate84°/10°Summer high · winter low · 35″ snowHazards60/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Denison
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Denison is #143 of 143 in IA for “Fewest uninsured”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Denison’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Denison. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Denison
53% of Denison’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Sioux City (3%), Carroll (2%) and Omaha (2%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
53%work in town
Where working residents work
In Denison53%
Sioux City3%
Carroll2%
Omaha2%
Ida Grove2%
2 mi
median commute distance
4,976
jobs based in Denison
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 14% of U.S. towns
Denison beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
DHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Denison | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.3% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 19.2% | 7.3% |
Crawford County Memorial Hospital
0.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
2nd
percentile among IA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
5.1% of Denison is conserved land
2.8 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves.
5.1%conserved
5.1%
conserved · 214 of 4,183 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
#43
most conserved land in IA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yellow Smoke Park | 1.7 mi | 158 |
| 2. Northside Recreation Complex | — | 35 |
| 3. Little League Complex | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Denison home is worth about $183K
The typical Denison home is worth about $183,000, up 2% in a year, 24% below the Iowa typical home.
$183KZillow home value
Typical home value
Denison$183K
Iowa$240K
+2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Denison’s public schools outperform 30% of Iowa districts
The public schools Denison’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 70% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denison Elementary School | PK–3 | 691 | D− |
| Broadway Elementary School | 4–5 | 288 | C+ |
| St. Rose of Lima School Private | PK–5 | 126 | |
| Denison Middle School | 6–8 | 502 | B− |
| Denison High School | 9–12 | 777 | C+ |
| Zion Lutheran School Private | PK–9 | 95 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 68% of U.S. towns
Denison reports less crime per resident than 68% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
B+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Denison1.3
Iowa2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Denison3.7
Iowa12
U.S.15.5
68th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
60th
percentile among IA towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
31
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Denison has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–32°
Spring37–60°
Summer60–83°
Fall39–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
75
paid flood claims since 1990
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
7 places in Denison on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Denison
16 notable people were born in Denison.
About Denison
City in Iowa, United States
Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River, and located in both Denison Township and East Boyer Township. The population was 8,373 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 8,373
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,283 ft
- ZIP code
- 51442
- Area code
- 712
More about Denison
Still missing for Denison:local news coverageupcoming events