Greene County, Iowa

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Greene County, Iowa
Map
Map of Iowa highlighting Greene County
Location in the state of Iowa
Map of the U.S. highlighting Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 1851
Seat Jefferson
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

571 sq mi (1,479 km²)
568 sq mi (1,472 km²)
3 sq mi (7 km²), 0.48%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density

10,366
18/sq mi (7/km²)
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website: www.co.greene.ia.us

Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is named in honor of General Nathanael Greene. As of 2000, the population is 10,366. Its county seat is Jefferson.[1]

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,479 km²), of which, 568 square miles (1,472 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) of it (0.48%) is water.

[edit] Major highways

[edit] Adjacent counties

[edit] History

Greene County was formed on January 15, 1851 and from 1854, self-governed. It was named after General Nathanael Greene, a hero in the Revolutionary War. The first settler was Truman Davis. He settled on the Racoon River.

The first courthouse was built in 1856 from wood. Previously court was held in a log cabin southeast of Jefferson. The second courthouse, of red brick, was built in 1870. The structure used today was built in 1917.

[edit] Demographics

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Greene County.
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Greene County.
Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1900 17,820
1910 16,023 -10.1%
1920 16,467 2.8%
1930 16,528 0.4%
1940 16,599 0.4%
1950 15,544 -6.4%
1960 14,379 -7.5%
1970 12,716 -11.6%
1980 12,119 -4.7%
1990 10,045 -17.1%
2000 10,366 3.2%
IA Counties 1900-1990

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 10,366 people, 4,205 households, and 2,859 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 4,623 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.16% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 1.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,205 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.60% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,883, and the median income for a family was $41,230. Males had a median income of $29,076 versus $21,657 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,866. About 4.80% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.90% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] Unincorporated community

[edit] Notable residents

  • George Horace Gallup, Former resident, American statistician, invented the Gallup poll, a successful statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion.
  • Warren Allen Smith, Former resident, American homosexual activist, writer and Humanist.

Coordinates: 42°02′07″N, 94°23′44″W