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Dickinson County, Iowa in numbers: crime, income, hazards

FBI reports put Dickinson County at 0.95 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 65% lower than the rate for Iowa (2.7). Median household income is $75,432 and the unemployment rate was 3.1% in August 2026. About 17,990 people live in the county.

Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.

Open Dickinson County on the map →

Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams

What is the crime rate in Dickinson County?

From 2021 through 2025, Dickinson County averaged 16 reported violent crimes a year, along with 96 property crimes. The violent rate, 0.95 per 1,000 people, is 65% lower than the Iowa rate (2.7); nationally it is 3.7. For property crime the county rate is 5.7 per 1,000 (Iowa: 13.6; U.S.: 18.1).

Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025)Dickinson CountyPer 1,000Iowa per 1,000U.S. per 1,000
Violent crime160.952.73.7
Murder00.000.020.06
Rape30.180.420.40
Robbery00.000.200.62
Aggravated assault130.772.02.6
Property crime965.713.618.1
Burglary191.12.22.4
Larceny-theft704.19.913.0
Motor vehicle theft70.401.52.6

Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 94% of residents covered).

What is the median household income in Dickinson County?

The median household in Dickinson County earns $75,432 a year, close to the Iowa median ($75,059). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $270,700, and the median rent is $922 a month. 4.5% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 8.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 317 people out of work and looking.

Census ACS 2020-2024Dickinson CountyIowaUnited States
Population17,9903,210,507334,922,499
Median household income$75,432$75,059$80,734
Median home value (owner-occupied)$270,700$208,000$332,700
Median gross rent$922$972$1,413
Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average)3.0%3.6%5.2%
People below the poverty line7.6%11.1%12.5%
Households receiving SNAP (food stamps)4.5%8.8%12.1%
Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher31.2%31.4%35.7%
Homeowner households77.5%71.7%65.2%
Median age48.738.638.9
Households with broadband internet90.8%88.9%91.0%
People without health insurance2.6%5.0%8.4%

What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Dickinson County?

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Dickinson County as “Very Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.

Superfund sites

EPA lists no Superfund site in Dickinson County, active or completed (October 2026).

Industrial chemical releases

4 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 26,440 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.

Disasters, air and water

Dickinson County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 2, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 10 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest).

Is there road construction in Dickinson County?

No highway work zones were listed in Dickinson County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.

See today's work zones on the map →

How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Dickinson County?

Dickinson County has 9 public schools (2024-25) and 0 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 2 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 7 fire or EMS stations and 4 police or sheriff stations. 12 state parks or recreation areas: Claire Wilson State Recreation Area, Dickinson Co. RR ROW State Recreation Area, Elinor Bedell State Park, Emmerson Bay State Recreation Area and Gull Point State Park and 7 more.

Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Dickinson County

Gun shops

3 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Dickinson County, plus 11 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: J5 Outdoors (Spirit Lake), Walmart #1415 (Spirit Lake) and West Okoboji Pawn (West Okoboji).

Liquor stores

4 liquor stores are on the map in Dickinson County: Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits (Spirit Lake), Jiffy Liquor (Spirit Lake), Okoboji Avenue Liquor Store and Okoboji Wines (Spirit Lake). Iowa has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.

Planned Parenthood

There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Dickinson County on the map.

See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →

Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.

Common questions

What is the crime rate in Dickinson County?

Dickinson County averaged 16 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.95 per 1,000 residents, 65% lower than the Iowa rate (2.7). The property-crime rate was 5.7 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).

What is the median household income in Dickinson County?

$75,432 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $75,059 for Iowa and $80,734 nationally.

What is the unemployment rate in Dickinson County?

The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 317 people out of work and looking.

What natural hazards affect Dickinson County?

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Dickinson County as “Very Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.

Is there road construction in Dickinson County right now?

No highway work zones were listed in Dickinson County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.

How many nursing homes are in Dickinson County?

2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).

How does Dickinson County compare with neighboring counties?

CountyPopulationViolent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25)Median household income
Clay County16,4610.90$65,428
Emmet County9,2622.5$63,730
Jackson County, MN9,9330.84$75,743
O'Brien County14,1262.3$68,356
Osceola County6,1001.3$69,239
Palo Alto County8,8631.6$72,781

More: Iowa statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)

Where do these numbers come from?

Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.

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