Franklin County, Iowa

Franklin County, Iowa
Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton
Location in the state of Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.
Founded	1851
Seat	Hampton
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	583.01 sq mi (1,510 km²) 582.44 sq mi (1,509 km²) 0.57<1 sq mi (1 km²), 0.10%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	10,680 18/sq mi (7/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	co.franklin.ia.us
Footnotes: Population

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 10,680 in the 2010 census, a decline from 10,704 in the 2000 census. The county seat is Hampton.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 583.01 square miles (1,510.0 km²), of which 582.44 square miles (1,508.5 km²) (or 99.90%) is land and 0.57 square miles (1.5 km²) (or 0.10%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 35
• U.S. Highway 65
• Iowa Highway 3
• Iowa Highway 57

Adjacent counties

• Cerro Gordo County (north)
• Butler County (east)
• Hardin County (south)
• Wright County (west)

History

Franklin County was formed on January 15, 1851. It was named after Benjamin Franklin.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	1,309		—
1870	4,738		262.0%
1880	10,249		116.3%
1890	12,871		25.6%
1900	14,996		16.5%
1910	14,780		−1.4%
1920	15,807		6.9%
1930	16,382		3.6%
1940	16,379		0%
1950	16,268		−0.7%
1960	15,472		−4.9%
1970	13,255		−14.3%
1980	13,036		−1.7%
1990	11,364		−12.8%
2000	10,704		−5.8%
2010	10,680		−0.2%
Iowa Data Center

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,680 in the county, with a population density of 18.338/sq mi (7.080/km²). There were 4,894 housing units, of which 4,332 were occupied.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Franklin County

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,704 people, 4,356 households, and 2,983 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 4,763 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.92% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.05% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. 6.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,356 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.40% 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 2.93.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 20.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,042, and the median income for a family was $45,184. Males had a median income of $29,694 versus $21,115 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,767. About 5.70% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.

Franklin County Fair

Franklin County is home to the Franklin County Fair. Held annually for five days in mid-July, the Franklin County Fair is held on the fairgrounds located on the west side of Hampton. Traditionally, grandstand entertainment begins on Wednesday with the Barnes PRCA Rodeo. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are usually concerts featuring nationally known entertainment. In 2007 such names as Terri Clark, Marshall Tucker Band, and Trent Tomlinson & Danielle Peck brought fans to the grandstand. On Sunday the Figure 8 Races generally fill the grandstand. The fair also includes free entertainment and a carnival midway. The fairgrounds features the Franklin County Historical Museum, Pleasant Hill (turn of the century village with stores, crafters, old west shows, music and entertainment), and Grandpa's Farm (all phases of farming demonstrated with vintage implements powered by draft horses, steam engines and antique tractors).

Cities and towns

Ackley Alexander Coulter

Dows Geneva Hampton

Hansell Latimer

Popejoy Sheffield

Unincorporated communities

• Bradford
• Chapin

Education

There are four high schools in Franklin County. The Hampton-Dumont Community School District is a P/K-12 school system located in Hampton and serving the communities of Hampton, Dumont, Aredale, and Hansell. Hampton-Dumont has a K-12 enrollment of 1,194. The West Fork Community Schools are made up of a whole grade sharing agreement between SCMT and Rockwell-Swaledale. West Fork serves the communities of Sheffield, Chapin, Meservey, Thornton, Rockwell, and Swaledale and has a combined enrollment of 764 between the two districts. The AGWSR Community School District serves the communities of Ackley, Geneva, Wellsburg, and Steamboat Rock and has a K-12 enrollment of 654 students. The CAL Community School District, located just south of Latimer, serves the communities of Coulter, Alexander, and Latimer and has a K-12 enrollment of 274 students.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Iowa
• The Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton was built in 1891 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

External links

• Official Franklin County website
• Franklin County Development website
• Franklin County Convention & Visitor's Bureau Website
• Franklin County Fair