- Mahaska County, Iowa
-
Mahaska County, Iowa 
Location in the state of Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.Founded 1843 Seat Oskaloosa Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
573.40 sq mi (1,485 km²)
570.87 sq mi (1,479 km²)
2.53 sq mi (7 km²), 0.44%Population
- (2010)
- Density
22,381
39/sq mi (15/km²)Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Website www.mahaskacounty.org Footnotes: Population [1] Mahaska County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 22,381 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,335 in the 2000 census.[1][2] The county seat is Oskaloosa. [3]
Contents
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 573.40 square miles (1,485.1 km2), of which 570.87 square miles (1,478.5 km2) (or 99.56%) is land and 2.53 square miles (6.6 km2) (or 0.44%) is water.[4]
Major highways
U.S. Highway 63
Iowa Highway 23
Iowa Highway 92
Iowa Highway 163
Iowa Highway 146
Iowa Highway 149
Adjacent counties
- Jasper County (northwest)
- Poweshiek County (north)
- Keokuk County (east)
- Wapello County (southeast)
- Monroe County (southwest)
- Marion County (west)
History
Mahaska, from Futon's Red Men of Iowa 1882.
Mahaska County was formed on February 17, 1843. The county has been self-governing since February 5, 1844. It was named after Chief Mahaska of the Iowa tribe. The county was the first in Iowa to have a sheriff and a justice of peace.[5]
The first courthouse was completed in January, 1846. The second structure was put into use on February 27, 1886. The first school, a small log cabin one-half mile (ca. 2 km) east of Oskaloosa, was opened on September 16, 1844 and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church opened as the first church in 1846.[6] On July 2, 1850, the first edition of the Iowa Herald was issued (today the Oskaloosa Herald). In 1864, the first tracks were laid through the county of the Des Moines Valley Railroad.[5]
Coal mining was once a major industry in Mahaska County.[7] In the 19th century, Muchakinock, about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Oskaloosa, was probably the largest and most prosperous coal camp in Iowa.
Demographics
Historical populations Census Pop. %± 1850 5,989 — 1860 14,816 147.4% 1870 22,508 51.9% 1880 25,202 12.0% 1890 28,805 14.3% 1900 34,273 19.0% 1910 29,860 −12.9% 1920 26,270 −12.0% 1930 25,804 −1.8% 1940 26,485 2.6% 1950 24,672 −6.8% 1960 23,602 −4.3% 1970 22,177 −6.0% 1980 22,867 3.1% 1990 21,532 −5.8% 2000 22,335 3.7% 2010 22,381 0.2% Iowa Data Center [2] 2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 22,381 in the county, with a population density of 39.2051/sq mi (15.1372/km2). There were 9,766 housing units, of which 8,975 were occupied.[1]
2000 census
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Mahaska CountyAs of the census[8] of 2000, there were 22,335 people, 8,880 households, and 6,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 9,551 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.20% White, 0.64% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,880 households out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,314, and the median income for a family was $43,557. Males had a median income of $32,618 versus $23,192 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,232. About 7.50% of families and 9.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Incorporated cities
Unincorporated communities
- Hopewell
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010". United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST05&prodType=table. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
- ^ a b "Data from the 2010 Census". State Data Center of Iowa. http://www.iowadatacenter.org/archive/2011/02/feb10. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ a b Mahaska County
- ^ About Mahaska
- ^ Map of Historic Coal Mines in Mahaska County, Mahaska 4-H Tech Team, May 2006.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
Jasper County Poweshiek County Marion County 
Keokuk County 
Mahaska County, Iowa 
Monroe County Wapello County Municipalities and communities of Mahaska County, Iowa Cities Barnes City‡ | Beacon | Eddyville‡ | Fremont | Keomah Village | Leighton | New Sharon | Oskaloosa | Rose Hill | University Park
Unincorporated
communitiesCedar | Hopewell | Indianapolis
Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Coordinates: 41°20′02″N 92°38′44″W / 41.33389°N 92.64556°W
Categories:- Iowa counties
- Mahaska County, Iowa
- 1843 establishments in the United States
- Populated places established in 1843
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