Belmond is a city in

Wright County, Iowa Wright County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,943. The county seat is Clarion. The county organization became effective in January 1851, and is believed to be named either after Silas Wright, ...

, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 69, by road from Clarion, the county seat. The population was 2,463 in the 2020 census, a decline from 2,560 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

History

On October 14, 1966, an F5 tornado ripped apart the community, destroying or damaging about 600 homes and 75 businesses. Six people were killed and large swaths of the town were left in ruins. On June 12, 2013, an EF3 tornado affected the northern sections of town by damaging or destroying several businesses and homes. FI0001764

Belmond was impacted by major flooding in the

June 2008 Midwest floods The June 2008 Midwestern United States floods were flooding events which affected portions of the Midwestern United States. After months of heavy precipitation, a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke thro ...

, along with many other parts of the state of Iowa.

Geography

Belmond is located at (42.847242, -93.612335) on the

Iowa River The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 and ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 2,376 people, 1,047 households, and 649 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 1,197 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 4.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 12.1% of the population. There were 1,047 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 45.9 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 23.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,560 people, 1,119 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,202 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.84%

, 0.23%

Black or African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.12% Native-American, 0.20% Asian, 3.95% from

, and 0.66% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

of any race were 5.62% of the population. There were 1,119 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90. Age spread: 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,841, and the median income for a family was $43,393. Males had a median income of $30,270 versus $20,664 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,317. About 2.6% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The community has and continues to complete several community projects including industrial park and spec building, new elementary school, high school renovations, renovated library, new city hall, new fire station, community-owned movie theater, new daycare center, assisted living facility, street improvements, new water treatment facility, housing developments, several business expansions and developments, etc.

Housing

The Belmond Housing Council and the City of Belmond established the Dumond Estates 40-lot housing subdivision in 1997. There are two housing incentive programs available in Belmond, which emphasize building in Dumond Estates.

Parks and recreation

Belmond maintains several well-kept city parks. In recent years the Belmond community has built a new fire station, city hall, walking trail, new water treatment facility, a new medical clinic and a new $27 million hospital. The Iowa River flows through Belmond, past a river park. Belmond has a country club and golf course. Luick Memorial Swimming Pool features a giant water slide and has recently be updated with other water features. There are plans to build a walking trail from Mason City to Belmond that could eventually connect to the Three Rivers Trail.

Education

Belmond–Klemme Community School District serves Belmond. The district formed on July 1, 1994, with the merger of the Belmond and Klemme districts.

Health care

Iowa Specialty Hospital-Belmond, a 22-bed critical access hospital, serves the healthcare needs of the community. The hospital built a new medical clinic in 2000. In February 2007 the hospital began a cooperative agreement with the hospital in Clarion, a neighboring community. Iowa Specialty Hospitals in Belmond and Clarion have experienced significant growth in recent years. Medical clinics have been opened in the neighboring towns of Garner, Hampton and Webster City. The agreement between Clarion and Belmond is the first of its kind in the state. The two hospitals now employ over 300 people.

Notable people

* Duane Benson, Minnesota state senator and former AFL/ NFL player, was born in Belmond.Minnesota Legislators Past and Present-Duane Benson
/ref> * Sean McLaughlin: former MSNBC meteorologist and "Today Show" weather anchor, currently serving as weather anchor for CBS affiliate KPHO in Phoenix, Arizona. * Walter C. Ramsay, Iowa Secretary of State and newspaper editor

References

External links

City-Data
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Belmond
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Wright County, Iowa Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Iowa