Denison, Iowa

History

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

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 Dan Leinen. (Elected: November 3, 2015 | Term: December 31, 2017)

Former Mayors of Denison:

1. Brad Bonner
2. Dennis Fineran
3. Nathan Mahrt
4. Ken Livingston
5. Loren Schultz
6. Don Stehr
7. Ralph Borcherding
8. Jerry Smithson
9. Keith Duncan
10. Ralph Bilsten

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.

Geography

Denison is located at 42°1′2″N 95°21′4″W (42.017187, −95.351124).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.57 square miles (17.02 km²), of which, 6.54 square miles (16.94 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,298 people, 2,816 households, and 1,866 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,268.8 inhabitants per square mile (489.9/km²). There were 2,968 housing units at an average density of 453.8 per square mile (175.2/km²). 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 population.

There were 2,816 households of which 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 all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.36.

The median age in the city 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 years of age 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 residing in the city. The population density was 1,185.5 people per square mile (457.8/km²). There were 2,837 housing units at an average density of 458.3 per square mile (177.0/km²). 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.

There were 2,674 households out of which 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 all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.

Age spread: 26.0% 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% who were 65 years of age 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 income for a household in the city was $33,187, and the median income for a family 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.

The book on Denison

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.

Notable people

National Register of Historic Places