Howard County, Iowa

Last updated

Howard County
HowardCountyCourthouseCrescoIowa.jpg
Map of Iowa highlighting Howard County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa in United States.svg
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°21′27″N92°18′56″W / 43.3575°N 92.315555555556°W / 43.3575; -92.315555555556
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Iowa.svg  Iowa
Founded1851
Named for Tilghman Howard
Seat Cresco
Largest cityCresco
Area
  Total474 sq mi (1,230 km2)
  Land473 sq mi (1,230 km2)
  Water0.4 sq mi (1 km2)  0.08%
Population
 (2020)
  Total9,469
  Density20/sq mi (7.7/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st
Website howardcounty.iowa.gov

Howard County is a county located in the US state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,469. [1] The county seat is Cresco. [2] The county was founded in 1851; it was named for General Tilghman Ashurst Howard, a Representative of Indiana. [3] [4]

Contents

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 474 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 473 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.08%) is water. [5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1860 3,168
1870 6,28298.3%
1880 10,83772.5%
1890 11,1823.2%
1900 14,51229.8%
1910 12,920−11.0%
1920 13,7056.1%
1930 13,082−4.5%
1940 13,5313.4%
1950 13,105−3.1%
1960 12,734−2.8%
1970 11,442−10.1%
1980 11,114−2.9%
1990 9,809−11.7%
2000 9,9321.3%
2010 9,566−3.7%
2020 9,469−1.0%
2023 (est.)9,376 [6] −1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1790-1960 [8] 1900-1990 [9]
1990-2000 [10] 2010-2018 [11]
Population of Howard County from US census data HowardCountyIowaPop2020.png
Population of Howard County from US census data

2020 census

2022 US Census population pyramid for Howard County from ACS 5-year estimates HowardCountyIA2022PopPyr.png
2022 US Census population pyramid for Howard County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 9,469 in the county, with a population density of

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,566 in the county, with a population density of

2000 census

At the 2000 census, [13] there were 9,932 people, 3,974 households and 2,650 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 per square mile (8.1/km2). There were 4,327 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.06% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,974 households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03.

26.30% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median household income was $34,641 and the median family income was $43,284. Males had a median income of $28,856 compared $21,367 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,842. About 5.6% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Events

The Mighty Howard County Fair is held annually in Cresco, in the last full week of June. This celebration originated in 1858, and three fairs were celebrated before being interrupted by the American Civil War. They resumed from 1866 through 1899, and were resumed in 1923 under aegis of the present directorship. [14]

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Howard County. [1]

county seat

RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2020 Census)
1 Cresco City3,888
2 Riceville (partially in Mitchell County )City806
3 Elma City505
4 Lime Springs City473
5 Protivin (partially in Chickasaw County )City269
6 Chester City139

Notable people

Politics

From 1972 to 2012, Howard County leaned Democratic in presidential elections. Republicans only carried the county three times, all amidst national landslides, and the county almost always weighed in to the left of the national popular vote. However, in 2016, the county swung dramatically towards Republican Donald Trump, going from a 21-point Democratic margin in 2012 to a more than 20-point Republican margin in 2016. With this 41-point swing, Howard County voted Republican in a presidential election for the first time since 1984, with Trump's 57.27% vote share marking the strongest Republican performance in the county since 1952. In 2020, Trump further expanded his vote share to 63.07%, the best performance for any candidate in Howard County since Warren G. Harding a century earlier.

United States presidential election results for Howard County, Iowa [15] [16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.%No.%No.%
2020 3,12763.07%1,77235.74%591.19%
2016 2,61157.27%1,67736.78%2715.94%
2012 1,79538.64%2,76859.59%821.77%
2008 1,72236.41%2,94162.19%661.40%
2004 2,02843.18%2,61455.65%551.17%
2000 1,92242.80%2,42654.02%1433.18%
1996 1,52834.69%2,30352.28%57413.03%
1992 1,51631.18%2,09943.17%1,24725.65%
1988 1,97045.55%2,33053.87%250.58%
1984 2,71855.49%2,13543.59%450.92%
1980 2,97553.35%2,21439.71%3876.94%
1976 2,61846.62%2,91751.94%811.44%
1972 2,98054.37%2,43944.50%621.13%
1968 3,14153.90%2,42041.53%2664.56%
1964 2,36038.00%3,84161.84%100.16%
1960 3,37849.79%3,40650.21%00.00%
1956 3,49152.85%3,10647.02%80.12%
1952 4,30562.56%2,56437.26%120.17%
1948 2,63043.19%3,37855.47%821.35%
1944 2,96148.43%3,13251.23%210.34%
1940 3,71450.16%3,67549.63%160.22%
1936 2,94741.52%3,86154.40%2904.09%
1932 2,42636.44%4,17662.72%560.84%
1928 3,37551.18%3,19348.42%260.39%
1924 2,85047.67%1,60426.83%1,52525.51%
1920 3,60166.46%1,71731.69%1001.85%
1916 1,56248.86%1,56048.80%752.35%
1912 75023.92%1,41645.17%96930.91%
1908 1,53050.10%1,40846.10%1163.80%
1904 1,82359.93%1,09636.03%1234.04%
1900 1,94456.30%1,42041.12%892.58%
1896 1,92955.24%1,50743.16%561.60%
1880 1,06652.67%28514.08%67333.25%
1876 1,19465.79%60033.06%211.16%
1872 77273.80%13012.43%14413.77%
1868 67463.95%38036.05%00.00%
1864 41965.57%22034.43%00.00%

See also

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Cresco is a city in Howard County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,888 at the 2020 census, down from 3,905 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". census.gov. United states Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Howard County, Iowa - History". Howard County, Iowa. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p.  162.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  11. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  12. "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau – American FactFinder. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  14. About the Society
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  16. "2020 Iowa President Election Results". desmoinesregister.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

43°21′27″N92°18′56″W / 43.35750°N 92.31556°W / 43.35750; -92.31556