Lucas County, Iowa

Lucas County, Iowa
Courthouse in Chariton is on the NRHP
Location in the state of Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.
Founded	1846
Seat	Chariton
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	434.17 sq mi (1,124 km²) 430.55 sq mi (1,115 km²) 3.63 sq mi (9 km²), 0.84%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	8,898 21/sq mi (8/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Footnotes: Population

Lucas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 8,898 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,422 in the 2000 census. The county seat is Chariton.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 434.17 square miles (1,124.5 km²), of which 430.55 square miles (1,115.1 km²) (or 99.17%) is land and 3.63 square miles (9.4 km²) (or 0.84%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 34
• U.S. Highway 65
• Iowa Highway 14

Adjacent counties

• Warren County (northwest)
• Marion County (northeast)
• Monroe County (east)
• Wayne County (south)
• Clarke County (west)

History

Lucas County was formed in 1846. It was named for Robert Lucas, a Governor of the Territory.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	471		—
1860	5,766		1,124.2%
1870	10,388		80.2%
1880	14,530		39.9%
1890	14,563		0.2%
1900	16,126		10.7%
1910	13,462		−16.5%
1920	15,686		16.5%
1930	15,114		−3.6%
1940	14,571		−3.6%
1950	12,069		−17.2%
1960	10,923		−9.5%
1970	10,163		−7.0%
1980	10,313		1.5%
1990	9,070		−12.1%
2000	9,422		3.9%
2010	8,898		−5.6%
Iowa Data Center

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 8,898 in the county, with a population density of 20.6666/sq mi (7.9794/km²). There were 4,238 housing units, of which 3,689 were occupied.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Lucas County

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,422 people, 3,811 households, and 2,560 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 4,239 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.44% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,811 households out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,876, and the median income for a family was $38,352. Males had a median income of $31,243 versus $21,293 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,341. About 8.40% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Chariton
• Derby
• Lucas
• Russell
• Williamson

Athletics

• Lucas County is well-known for its baseball program. As recently as 2009 Lucas County's Babe Ruth All-star teams have made it to, or past, the Iowa State Tournament. They have won 5 Babe Ruth State Titles, with the most recent coming in 2008. They have not, however, won any national titles.

Notable natives

• John L. Lewis, labor leader

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lucas County, Iowa
• Lucas County Courthouse
• Red Haw State Park

External links

• Lucas County Development Corporation