Wright County, Iowa
| Wright County, Iowa | |
 Location in the state of Iowa |
|
 Iowa's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | 1851 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Clarion |
| Largest city | Eagle Grove |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
582.54 sq mi (1,509 km²) 580.72 sq mi (1,504 km²) 1.82 sq mi (5 km²), 0.31% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
13,229 23/sq mi (9/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www.wrightcounty.org |
| Footnotes: Population [1] | |
Wright County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 13,229 in the 2010 census, a decline from 14,334 in the 2000 census.[1][2] The county seat is Clarion. [3]
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 582.54 square miles (1,508.8 km2), of which 580.72 square miles (1,504.1 km2) (or 99.69%) is land and 1.82 square miles (4.7 km2) (or 0.31%) is water.[4]
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Hancock County (north)
- Franklin County (east)
- Hamilton County (south)
- Webster County (southwest)
- Humboldt County (west)
[edit] History
Wright County was formed on January 15, 1851. It was named after Silas Wright, a Governor of New York and for Joseph Albert Wright, a Governor of Indiana.[5]
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,392 |
|
|
| 1880 | 5,062 | 111.6% | |
| 1890 | 12,057 | 138.2% | |
| 1900 | 18,227 | 51.2% | |
| 1910 | 17,951 | −1.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,348 | 13.4% | |
| 1930 | 20,216 | −0.6% | |
| 1940 | 20,038 | −0.9% | |
| 1950 | 19,652 | −1.9% | |
| 1960 | 19,447 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 17,294 | −11.1% | |
| 1980 | 16,319 | −5.6% | |
| 1990 | 14,269 | −12.6% | |
| 2000 | 14,334 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 13,229 | −7.7% | |
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[edit] 2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of 22.7803/sq mi (8.7955/km2). There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.[1]
[edit] 2000 census
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 14,334 people, 5,940 households, and 3,938 families residing in the county. The population density was 25 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 6,559 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.93% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 2.90% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 4.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,940 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,197, and the median income for a family was $44,043. Males had a median income of $29,398 versus $21,222 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,247. About 4.20% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.70% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Education
[edit] Primary and secondary
There are three school districts in Wright County with three high schools:
- Eagle Grove Community School District, in Eagle Grove[7]
- Belmond-Klemme Community School District, in Belmond, Klemme, Goodell, and Rowan.[8]
[edit] Tertiary
Iowa State University maintains an extension office in Clarion. Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, and Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls are all within driving distance of Wright County.
[edit] Wright County Fair
The first Wright County Fair was held in Clarion. The old fairgrounds were located where Clarion's USA Healthcare Center stands today. For some unknown reason, in 1924 the fair in Clarion closed. It was moved to Goldfield in 1925 and then to its present location in Eagle Grove in 1926. The Wright County Fair was later renamed the Wright County District Junior Fair. Entries are open to children in Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster, Hardin, Franklin, and Wright Counties. [9]
[edit] Newspapers
Several small newspapers are published in Wright County, including the Wright County Monitor of Clarion. Other newspapers include the Eagle Grove Eagle, the Belmond Independent, the Dows Advocate, and the Clarion Monthly.
[edit] Politics
| Year | Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 48.51% 3,102 | 50.1% 3,198 |
| 2004 | 44.37% 2,930 | 54.99% 3,631 |
| 2000 | 44,13% 2,796 | 53.41% 3,384 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010". United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST05&prodType=table. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
- ^ a b "Data from the 2010 Census". State Data Center of Iowa. http://www.iowadatacenter.org/archive/2011/02/feb10. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ Wright County
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Eagle Grove Community School District
- ^ Belmond-Klemme Community School District
- ^ Wright County District Junior Fair
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wright County, Iowa |
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Hancock County | |
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| Humboldt County |  |
Franklin County | ||
 Wright County, Iowa  |
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| Webster County | Hamilton County |
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Coordinates: 42°43′59″N 93°44′08″W / 42.73306°N 93.73556°W
