Cedar County, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIowa | |
 Iowa's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:41°46′05″N91°07′43″W / 41.768055555556°N 91.128611111111°W /41.768055555556; -91.128611111111 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Named after | Cedar River |
| Seat | Tipton |
| Largest city | Tipton |
| Area | |
• Total | 582 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
| • Land | 579 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,505 |
| • Density | 32/sq mi (12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | cedarcounty |
Cedar County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofIowa. As of the2020 census, the population was 18,505.[1] Itscounty seat isTipton.[2] The county is named for theCedar River, which runs through the county.
Cedar County is located between theCedar Rapids,Quad Cities, andIowa City metropolitan areas, also known as the"Tri-Metro" county. It is the only Iowa county that shares its name with a tree.
Cedar County was formed on December 21, 1837, from sections of Dubuque County. It was named for the Cedar River.
In 1840, the City of Tipton, the current county seat, was established.
Before theCivil War, the area around West Branch was an active focal point of theUnderground Railroad, a network for the freeing of slaves from the southern states.
The former US PresidentHerbert Hoover (1874-1964) was born in West Branch in Cedar County.[3]
In 1931, Cedar County was the battleground for theIowa Cow War, where multiple violent disputes over the testing of cattle forbovine tuberculosis occurred.[4]
TheCedar County Sheriff's House and Jail is believed to be the last jail and residence combination still in use when it closed in 2001.[5] It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2003.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 582 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 579 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) (0.4%) is water.[6]Rock Creek flows through Cedar County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,941 | — | |
| 1860 | 12,949 | 228.6% | |
| 1870 | 19,731 | 52.4% | |
| 1880 | 18,936 | −4.0% | |
| 1890 | 18,253 | −3.6% | |
| 1900 | 19,371 | 6.1% | |
| 1910 | 17,765 | −8.3% | |
| 1920 | 17,560 | −1.2% | |
| 1930 | 16,760 | −4.6% | |
| 1940 | 16,884 | 0.7% | |
| 1950 | 16,910 | 0.2% | |
| 1960 | 17,791 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 17,655 | −0.8% | |
| 1980 | 18,635 | 5.6% | |
| 1990 | 17,444 | −6.4% | |
| 2000 | 18,187 | 4.3% | |
| 2010 | 18,499 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 18,505 | 0.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 18,302 | [7] | −1.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2018[12] | |||
The 2020 census recorded a population of 18,505 in the county, with a population density of31.7402/sq mi (12.2550/km2). 96.29% of the population reported being of one race. 91.92% were non-Hispanic White, 0.45% were Black, 2.50% were Hispanic, 0.28% were Native American, 0.34% were Asian, 0.01% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.51% were some other race or more than one race. There were 8,190 housing units of which 7,594 were occupied.[1]
The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,956 in the county, with a population density of31.89/sq mi (12.31/km2). There were 8,064 housing units, of which 7,511 were occupied.[13]
As of thecensus[14] of 2000, there were 18,187 people, 7,147 households, and 5,138 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 31 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 7,570 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.47%White, 0.19%Black orAfrican American, 0.19%Native American, 0.30%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.26% fromother races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 7,147 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.60% weremarried couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,198, and the median income for a family was $48,850. Males had a median income of $32,008 versus $23,260 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,200. About 4.00% of families and 5.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.00% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.
Cedar County is divided into seventeentownships:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2020 census of Cedar County.[1]†county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Tipton | City | 3,149 |
| 2 | Wilton (mostly inMuscatine County) | City | 2,924 |
| 3 | West Branch (partially inJohnson County) | City | 2,509 |
| 4 | Durant (partially in Muscatine andScott Counties) | City | 1,871 |
| 5 | Clarence | City | 1,039 |
| 6 | Mechanicsville | City | 1,020 |
| 7 | Lowden | City | 807 |
| 8 | Stanwood | City | 637 |
| 9 | Bennett | City | 347 |
| 10 | Rochester | CDP | 142 |
Cedar County, like nearby Louisa County, is a reliable bellwether for the state of Iowa, having voted for the statewide winner in every presidential election since 1952.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 2,717 | 54.50% | 2,128 | 42.69% | 140 | 2.81% |
| 1900 | 2,740 | 55.19% | 2,131 | 42.92% | 94 | 1.89% |
| 1904 | 2,691 | 56.94% | 1,926 | 40.75% | 109 | 2.31% |
| 1908 | 2,455 | 54.17% | 1,986 | 43.82% | 91 | 2.01% |
| 1912 | 1,036 | 23.44% | 1,938 | 43.85% | 1,446 | 32.71% |
| 1916 | 2,862 | 63.56% | 1,595 | 35.42% | 46 | 1.02% |
| 1920 | 5,697 | 77.88% | 1,420 | 19.41% | 198 | 2.71% |
| 1924 | 4,625 | 60.74% | 1,478 | 19.41% | 1,512 | 19.86% |
| 1928 | 4,856 | 65.49% | 2,517 | 33.94% | 42 | 0.57% |
| 1932 | 3,277 | 40.62% | 4,718 | 58.48% | 73 | 0.90% |
| 1936 | 3,686 | 44.76% | 4,385 | 53.25% | 164 | 1.99% |
| 1940 | 5,521 | 62.45% | 3,293 | 37.25% | 26 | 0.29% |
| 1944 | 4,673 | 63.95% | 2,610 | 35.72% | 24 | 0.33% |
| 1948 | 3,957 | 56.40% | 2,958 | 42.16% | 101 | 1.44% |
| 1952 | 6,176 | 71.48% | 2,447 | 28.32% | 17 | 0.20% |
| 1956 | 5,344 | 64.71% | 2,912 | 35.26% | 2 | 0.02% |
| 1960 | 5,217 | 61.92% | 3,203 | 38.02% | 5 | 0.06% |
| 1964 | 3,106 | 40.16% | 4,617 | 59.69% | 12 | 0.16% |
| 1968 | 4,494 | 59.02% | 2,675 | 35.13% | 445 | 5.84% |
| 1972 | 4,452 | 63.39% | 2,465 | 35.10% | 106 | 1.51% |
| 1976 | 4,308 | 55.08% | 3,354 | 42.88% | 160 | 2.05% |
| 1980 | 4,398 | 56.41% | 2,589 | 33.21% | 810 | 10.39% |
| 1984 | 4,617 | 59.59% | 3,086 | 39.83% | 45 | 0.58% |
| 1988 | 3,373 | 45.10% | 4,032 | 53.91% | 74 | 0.99% |
| 1992 | 2,965 | 35.98% | 3,296 | 40.00% | 1,979 | 24.02% |
| 1996 | 2,966 | 38.64% | 3,856 | 50.23% | 854 | 11.13% |
| 2000 | 4,031 | 48.31% | 4,033 | 48.33% | 280 | 3.36% |
| 2004 | 4,869 | 50.23% | 4,747 | 48.97% | 78 | 0.80% |
| 2008 | 4,289 | 44.38% | 5,221 | 54.02% | 155 | 1.60% |
| 2012 | 4,529 | 46.94% | 4,972 | 51.53% | 148 | 1.53% |
| 2016 | 5,295 | 55.50% | 3,599 | 37.72% | 647 | 6.78% |
| 2020 | 6,161 | 57.56% | 4,337 | 40.52% | 205 | 1.92% |
| 2024 | 6,390 | 60.03% | 4,075 | 38.28% | 179 | 1.68% |
School districts include:[16]
Places adjacent to Cedar County, Iowa | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCedar County, Iowa,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
