DENISON, IA

Denison is a city that is part of Denison Township and East Boyer Township in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River. The population was 8,373 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.

History

Denison was laid out in 1856; the town was incorporated in 1875. Denison was named for its founder, J. W. Denison.

Geography

Denison is located at (42.017187, −95.351124).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 8,298 people, 2,816 households, and 1,866 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,968 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 70.6% White, 2.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 23.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.1%.

Of the 2,816 households 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.7% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 13.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.36.

The median age was 32.6 years. 29% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.9% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,339 people, 2,674 households, and 1,756 families living in the city. The population density was 1,185.5 people per square mile (457.8/km). There were 2,837 housing units at an average density of 458.3 per square mile (177.0/km). The racial makeup as reported by the Census was 86.92% White, 1.59% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 9.02% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.36% of the population.

Racial diversity in Dension has been increasing since the mid-1980s. According to a New York Times article, 20% of Denison's high-school age children were nonwhite in 2005, compared to approximately 50% of kindergarteners.

Of the 2,674 households 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.9% of households were one person and 15.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was26.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median household income was $33,187 and the median family income was $41,362. Males had a median income of $30,145 versus $20,538 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,391. About 6.1% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Denison is governed by a mayor and a five-member city council

Mayor

The Denison Mayor is the chief executive officer of the city and presiding officer of the city council. The Denison Mayor serves a 2-year term. The current mayor of Denison is Pam Soseman. (Elected: November 2019 | Term: December 31, 2021)

Former Mayors of Denison:

# Jared Beymer

# Dan Leinen

# Brad Bonner

# Dennis Fineran

# Nathan Mahrt

# Ken Livingston

# Loren Schultz

# Don Stehr

# Ralph Borcherding

# Jerry Smithson

# Keith Duncan

City Council

Denison City Council members serve overlapping four-year terms. The council consists of one representative from each of the city's three wards, plus two at-large representatives.

The members of the Denison City Council are:

Administration

Denison's City Administrator is Terry Crawford.

The City of Denison is organized into the following departments: Administration, Public Works, Library, Aquatic Center, Fire Department, Police Department, and Conference Center.

Public meetings

The minutes and agenda for each city council meeting are available in advance on the city's website.

Education

The Denison Community School District operates area public schools.

Notable people

National Register of Historic Places

Further reading

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dale Maharidge depicts a changing Denison in the early twenty-first century in his book Denison, Iowa: Searching for the Soul of America Through the Secrets of a Midwest Town. This book features photographs by Maharidge's photographic partner and fellow Pulitzer-winner, Michael Williamson.