Wapello County, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 Thecourthouse in Ottumwa | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIowa | |
 Iowa's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:41°01′46″N92°24′32″W / 41.029444444444°N 92.408888888889°W /41.029444444444; -92.408888888889 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | 1843 |
| Named after | Wapello |
| Seat | Ottumwa |
| Largest city | Ottumwa |
| Area | |
• Total | 436 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| • Land | 432 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Water | 4.2 sq mi (11 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 35,437 |
| • Density | 82.0/sq mi (31.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
Wapello County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofIowa. As of the2020 census, the population was 35,437.[1] Thecounty seat isOttumwa.[2] The county was formed on February 17, 1843, and named forWapello, aMeskwaki chief.[3]
Wapello County is included in the Ottumwa, IAMicropolitan Statistical Area.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 436 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 432 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km2) (1.0%) is water.[4]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 8,471 | — | |
| 1860 | 14,518 | 71.4% | |
| 1870 | 22,346 | 53.9% | |
| 1880 | 25,285 | 13.2% | |
| 1890 | 30,426 | 20.3% | |
| 1900 | 35,426 | 16.4% | |
| 1910 | 37,743 | 6.5% | |
| 1920 | 37,937 | 0.5% | |
| 1930 | 40,480 | 6.7% | |
| 1940 | 44,280 | 9.4% | |
| 1950 | 47,397 | 7.0% | |
| 1960 | 46,126 | −2.7% | |
| 1970 | 42,149 | −8.6% | |
| 1980 | 40,241 | −4.5% | |
| 1990 | 35,696 | −11.3% | |
| 2000 | 36,051 | 1.0% | |
| 2010 | 35,625 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 35,437 | −0.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 35,166 | [5] | −0.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2018[10] | |||
The 2020 census recorded a population of 35,437 in the county, with a population density of81.2225/sq mi (31.3602/km2). There were 15,734 housing units, of which 14,167 were occupied.[1]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 27,295 | 77.02% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,443 | 4.1% |
| Native American (NH) | 66 | 0.2% |
| Asian (NH) | 622 | 1.8% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 518 | 1.5% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 1,161 | 3.3% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 4,332 | 12.22% |
The 2010 census recorded a population of 35,625 in the county, with a population density of82.5016/sq mi (31.8540/km2). There were 16,098 housing units, of which 14,552 were occupied.[12]
As of thecensus[13] of 2000, there were 36,051 people, 14,784 households, and 9,801 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 84 people per square mile (32 people/km2). There were 15,873 housing units at an average density of 37 units per square mile (14 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.28%White, 0.93%Black orAfrican American, 0.28%Native American, 0.65%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.05% fromother races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 2.22% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 14,784 households, out of which 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% weremarried couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.30% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,188, and the median income for a family was $39,224. Males had a median income of $31,346 versus $21,286 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,500. About 9.40% of families and 13.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.
The population ranking of the following table is based on the2020 census of Wapello County.[1]
†county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Ottumwa | City | 25,529 |
| 2 | Eddyville (partially inMahaska andMonroe Counties) | City | 970 |
| 3 | Eldon | City | 783 |
| 4 | Agency | City | 620 |
| 5 | Blakesburg | City | 274 |
| 6 | Kirkville | City | 157 |
| 7 | Chillicothe | City | 76 |
Between 1864 and 1928, Wapello County backed the Republican candidate in every election except 1912, when former RepublicanTheodore Roosevelt ran as theProgressive candidate, fracturing the Republican party and allowing DemocratWoodrow Wilson to take the county with a plurality of the vote of less than 37%. From 1932 to 2012, the county voted Democratic in every election except two, the nationwide Republican landslides ofDwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 andRichard Nixon in 1972. So Democratic was the county that it was the only county in Iowa to giveJimmy Carter an outright majority of its votes in his 1980 landslide loss. Beginning in 2016, Wapello County has shifted back to the Republican column, asDonald Trump carried the county in each of his three runs, winning by a margin of over 20% in 2016 and over 23% in 2020, and over 31% in 2024. Also in 2024, Trump became the first candidate from any party to obtain at least 65% of the county's vote sinceLyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and the first Republican to do so sinceHerbert Hoover in 1928.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 4,319 | 50.75% | 4,041 | 47.49% | 150 | 1.76% |
| 1900 | 4,742 | 53.21% | 3,902 | 43.78% | 268 | 3.01% |
| 1904 | 4,912 | 60.60% | 2,473 | 30.51% | 720 | 8.88% |
| 1908 | 4,541 | 50.69% | 3,724 | 41.57% | 694 | 7.75% |
| 1912 | 2,755 | 32.53% | 3,102 | 36.62% | 2,613 | 30.85% |
| 1916 | 4,398 | 47.65% | 3,994 | 43.28% | 837 | 9.07% |
| 1920 | 9,884 | 67.99% | 4,131 | 28.42% | 522 | 3.59% |
| 1924 | 9,870 | 56.96% | 3,039 | 17.54% | 4,420 | 25.51% |
| 1928 | 11,586 | 66.10% | 5,793 | 33.05% | 149 | 0.85% |
| 1932 | 7,256 | 42.49% | 9,504 | 55.66% | 316 | 1.85% |
| 1936 | 7,647 | 41.31% | 10,578 | 57.14% | 287 | 1.55% |
| 1940 | 9,039 | 43.03% | 11,880 | 56.56% | 87 | 0.41% |
| 1944 | 8,244 | 43.19% | 10,732 | 56.22% | 113 | 0.59% |
| 1948 | 7,875 | 41.50% | 10,841 | 57.13% | 260 | 1.37% |
| 1952 | 11,571 | 52.24% | 10,449 | 47.17% | 130 | 0.59% |
| 1956 | 10,401 | 48.65% | 10,960 | 51.26% | 20 | 0.09% |
| 1960 | 11,036 | 49.79% | 11,116 | 50.15% | 15 | 0.07% |
| 1964 | 5,524 | 28.26% | 13,971 | 71.48% | 51 | 0.26% |
| 1968 | 7,825 | 41.96% | 9,375 | 50.28% | 1,447 | 7.76% |
| 1972 | 9,301 | 51.19% | 8,348 | 45.94% | 522 | 2.87% |
| 1976 | 6,786 | 39.30% | 10,249 | 59.35% | 233 | 1.35% |
| 1980 | 7,475 | 42.31% | 8,923 | 50.50% | 1,270 | 7.19% |
| 1984 | 7,098 | 39.88% | 10,545 | 59.24% | 157 | 0.88% |
| 1988 | 5,350 | 34.14% | 10,177 | 64.93% | 146 | 0.93% |
| 1992 | 4,852 | 30.17% | 8,670 | 53.91% | 2,561 | 15.92% |
| 1996 | 4,828 | 32.69% | 8,437 | 57.12% | 1,505 | 10.19% |
| 2000 | 6,313 | 41.70% | 8,355 | 55.19% | 471 | 3.11% |
| 2004 | 7,403 | 44.31% | 9,125 | 54.62% | 179 | 1.07% |
| 2008 | 6,663 | 41.80% | 8,820 | 55.33% | 457 | 2.87% |
| 2012 | 6,789 | 43.05% | 8,663 | 54.93% | 318 | 2.02% |
| 2016 | 8,715 | 57.53% | 5,594 | 36.93% | 840 | 5.54% |
| 2020 | 9,516 | 60.87% | 5,821 | 37.24% | 296 | 1.89% |
| 2024 | 9,479 | 65.00% | 4,896 | 33.57% | 208 | 1.43% |
School districts include:[15]
Former school districts:
Places adjacent to Wapello County, Iowa | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofWapello County, Iowa,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
41°01′46″N92°24′32″W / 41.02944°N 92.40889°W /41.02944; -92.40889
