Poweshiek County, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIowa | |
| Coordinates:41°41′03″N92°31′48″W / 41.6842°N 92.53°W /41.6842; -92.53 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | 1843 |
| Named after | Poweshiek,Meskwaki chief |
| Seat | Montezuma |
| Largest city | Grinnell |
| Area | |
• Total | 586 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Land | 585 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,662 |
• Estimate (2024) | 18,454 |
| • Density | 31.9/sq mi (12.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | poweshiekcounty |
Poweshiek County is acounty in the southeastern part of theU.S. state ofIowa. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 18,662.[1] Thecounty seat isMontezuma.[2] The county is named for the chief of theMeskwaki who signed the treaty ending theBlack Hawk War. It lies alongInterstate 80 betweenDes Moines andIowa City. Poweshiek County's largest city isGrinnell.
Poweshiek County was formed in 1843. It was named forMeskwaki Chief Poweshiek (1791–1854),[3] a chief of theMeskwaki people.[4] ThePoweshiek County Courthouse, completed in 1859, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[5]
County business is overseen by three elected county supervisors. The county website provides names and contact information for the current supervisors.[6]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 2,969 | 58.49% | 2,013 | 39.66% | 94 | 1.85% |
| 1900 | 3,199 | 63.05% | 1,765 | 34.79% | 110 | 2.17% |
| 1904 | 3,137 | 67.48% | 1,212 | 26.07% | 300 | 6.45% |
| 1908 | 2,794 | 59.73% | 1,661 | 35.51% | 223 | 4.77% |
| 1912 | 902 | 19.85% | 1,631 | 35.89% | 2,012 | 44.27% |
| 1916 | 2,748 | 57.39% | 1,880 | 39.26% | 160 | 3.34% |
| 1920 | 5,806 | 71.41% | 2,125 | 26.14% | 199 | 2.45% |
| 1924 | 4,414 | 53.57% | 1,428 | 17.33% | 2,397 | 29.09% |
| 1928 | 5,212 | 63.95% | 2,787 | 34.20% | 151 | 1.85% |
| 1932 | 3,490 | 41.77% | 4,649 | 55.64% | 216 | 2.59% |
| 1936 | 4,037 | 44.88% | 4,745 | 52.75% | 214 | 2.38% |
| 1940 | 4,773 | 49.66% | 4,794 | 49.88% | 44 | 0.46% |
| 1944 | 4,186 | 49.47% | 4,234 | 50.04% | 41 | 0.48% |
| 1948 | 3,888 | 46.37% | 4,324 | 51.57% | 173 | 2.06% |
| 1952 | 6,105 | 64.28% | 3,318 | 34.93% | 75 | 0.79% |
| 1956 | 5,145 | 58.81% | 3,602 | 41.17% | 2 | 0.02% |
| 1960 | 5,232 | 58.76% | 3,671 | 41.23% | 1 | 0.01% |
| 1964 | 3,109 | 37.31% | 5,213 | 62.55% | 12 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 4,470 | 55.10% | 3,250 | 40.06% | 392 | 4.83% |
| 1972 | 4,785 | 55.33% | 3,718 | 42.99% | 145 | 1.68% |
| 1976 | 4,194 | 48.01% | 4,360 | 49.91% | 181 | 2.07% |
| 1980 | 4,598 | 50.52% | 3,529 | 38.77% | 975 | 10.71% |
| 1984 | 4,715 | 53.04% | 4,103 | 46.16% | 71 | 0.80% |
| 1988 | 3,683 | 42.70% | 4,876 | 56.53% | 66 | 0.77% |
| 1992 | 3,245 | 35.87% | 4,056 | 44.83% | 1,746 | 19.30% |
| 1996 | 3,221 | 39.21% | 4,183 | 50.93% | 810 | 9.86% |
| 2000 | 4,396 | 48.95% | 4,222 | 47.02% | 362 | 4.03% |
| 2004 | 4,965 | 49.20% | 5,043 | 49.98% | 83 | 0.82% |
| 2008 | 4,340 | 43.26% | 5,519 | 55.01% | 174 | 1.73% |
| 2012 | 4,424 | 44.35% | 5,357 | 53.70% | 194 | 1.94% |
| 2016 | 4,946 | 50.30% | 4,304 | 43.77% | 583 | 5.93% |
| 2020 | 5,657 | 55.79% | 4,306 | 42.47% | 177 | 1.75% |
| 2024 | 5,758 | 57.51% | 4,067 | 40.62% | 188 | 1.88% |
Poweshiek County is served byGrinnell Regional Medical Center, an acute care hospital licensed for 81 beds. GRMC was established in 1967 after the merger of two hospitals.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 586 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 585 square miles (1,520 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.2%) is water.[8] It is drained by the north fork ofSkunk River, which crosses the southwest corner, and byEnglish River and other streams.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 615 | — | |
| 1860 | 5,668 | 821.6% | |
| 1870 | 15,581 | 174.9% | |
| 1880 | 18,936 | 21.5% | |
| 1890 | 18,394 | −2.9% | |
| 1900 | 19,414 | 5.5% | |
| 1910 | 19,589 | 0.9% | |
| 1920 | 19,910 | 1.6% | |
| 1930 | 18,727 | −5.9% | |
| 1940 | 18,758 | 0.2% | |
| 1950 | 19,344 | 3.1% | |
| 1960 | 19,300 | −0.2% | |
| 1970 | 18,803 | −2.6% | |
| 1980 | 19,306 | 2.7% | |
| 1990 | 19,033 | −1.4% | |
| 2000 | 18,815 | −1.1% | |
| 2010 | 18,914 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 18,662 | −1.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 18,454 | [10] | −1.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2018[15] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 18,662. The median age was 40.7 years, 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.0 males age 18 and over.[16]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.2%White, 1.8%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.9% from some other race, and 3.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.8% of the population.[17] Overall, 96.55% of the county's population reported being of one race.[17]
50.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 49.2% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 7,536 households in the county, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 8,906 housing units, of which 15.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.7% were owner-occupied and 28.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.[16]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 17,004 | 91.11% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 320 | 1.7% |
| Native American (NH) | 53 | 0.3% |
| Asian (NH) | 221 | 1.2% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 21 | 0.11% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 514 | 2.8% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 529 | 2.83% |
The 2010 census recorded a population of 18,914 in the county, with a population density of32.3/sq mi (12.5/km2). There were 8,949 housing units, of which 7,555 were occupied.[19]
As of thecensus[20] of 2000, there were 18,815 people, 7,398 households, and 4,882 families in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 8,556 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (5.8/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 96.74%White, 0.55%Black orAfrican American, 0.23%Native American, 1.07%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.20% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
Of the 7,398 households 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.2% of households were one person and 13.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.88.
The age distribution was 22.7% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median household income was $37,836 and the median family income was $46,599. Males had a median income of $32,781 versus $22,465 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,629. About 6.2% of families and 9.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Poweshiek County is served by three community school districts:[21]
| District | Location | Num of campuses (inc. parochial) | Num of students | Student– teacher ratio | High school | District web site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGM Community School District (Brooklyn–Guernsey–Malcom) | Brooklyn | 1 | 532 | - | BGM | BGM |
| Grinnell–Newburg Community School District | Grinnell | 6 | 1,475 | - | Grinnell | Grinnell |
| Montezuma Community School District | Montezuma | 1 | 537 | - | Montezuma | Montezuma |
Poweshiek County is home toGrinnell College, a smallliberal arts college founded in 1846.
There is one private school in the county, Central Iowa Christian School, in Grinnell.
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2020 United States census.[1]
†county seat
| Rank | City/town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grinnell | City | 9,564 |
| 2 | Brooklyn | City | 1,502 |
| 3 | †Montezuma | City | 1,442 |
| 4 | Victor (mostly inIowa County) | City | 875 |
| 5 | Holiday Lake | CDP | 473 |
| 6 | Malcom | City | 270 |
| 7 | Deep River | City | 249 |
| 8 | Barnes City (partially inMahaska County) | City | 156 |
| 9 | Searsboro | City | 129 |
| 10 | Hartwick | City | 92 |
| 11 | Guernsey | City | 63 |
Places adjacent to Poweshiek County, Iowa | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofPoweshiek County, Iowa,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
41°41′03″N92°31′48″W / 41.68417°N 92.53000°W /41.68417; -92.53000
