Britt is a city in Hancock County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, United States, and is the home of the National Hobo Convention and the Hobo Museum. The population was 2,044 at the 2020 census.

History

A train depot was built at Britt in 1870, with tracks running from east to west through the town. The first train line running through the town was the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line, followed by the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern line. As of 2019, the

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

Railway runs through the town, mostly carrying grain. Britt was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted in 1878. It is believed to be named for a railroad engineer or brakeman. Britt was incorporated as a city on June 23, 1881. Hobos have convened in Britt since 1900 for the National Hobo Convention, which celebrates the history of hobos and their way of life through contests, craft shows, communal eating, and a parade.

Geography

Britt is located at (43.096363, -93.801234). 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.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Britt has a

hot-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

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 2,069 people, 886 households, and 547 families living 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 979 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.1%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 4.5% 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 1.3% 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 7.7% of the population. There were 886 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 43.7 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,052 people, 873 households, and 552 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 930 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.7%

, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 4.8% from

, and 0.2% from two or more races.

of any race were 5.8% of the population. There were 873 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,150, and the median income for a family was $41,495. Males had a median income of $28,027 versus $20,611 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 $16,130. About 5.7% of families and 8.2% 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 10.2% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

West Hancock Community School District operates public schools in Britt. The district formed on July 1, 1994 with the merger of the Britt and Kanawha districts.

In popular culture

Britt is mentioned as being the location of a prom in the song "Prom Night" by The Perfect Theory, written by Adam Young of

Owl City Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young, who created the project while experimenting with music in his pa ...

fame.

References

External links

City of Britt, Iowa Website
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Britt
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Hancock County, Iowa 1878 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1878