Kanawha 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 the ...

, United States. The population was 658 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Kanawha 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 bear ...

ted in 1899. The newly constructed railroad had arrived from Belmond, Iowa. Business' and some buildings moved from settlements three to four miles distant to establish in the new town on the railroad. Those settlements were Cuba, to the north, Magor, to the northwest, Mikesville, to the southwest, Aldrich, to the south (Drew, moved and renamed Bruce, was farther south), West Lake, to the east, and Bailey's Grove to the north east. Kanawha's founder, George Casper Call, petitioned Congressman J.P. Dolliver requesting a post office and proposing the name "Luzon". Luzon was rejected because it was thought to be too close to the name of an existing Iowa, Luzerne in Benton County. Faced with having to find another name, a railroad engineer and West Virginia native, suggested "Kanawha". The name met with approval.

Geography

Kanawha is located at (42.936773, -93.794305). 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 the ...

, 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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 652 people, 291 households, and 167 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 348 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.8%

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, 0.8%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.8% from

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, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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 5.2% of the population. There were 291 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.6% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 47 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 28.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 739 people, 309 households, and 194 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 338 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.70%

, 0.68% Native American, 0.68% from

, and 0.95% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.30% of the population. There were 309 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $42,031. Males had a median income of $27,273 versus $20,288 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 $18,429. About 2.5% of families and 5.1% 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 4.0% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Kindergarten through 12th grade students from Kanawha attend the West Hancock Community School District. The district formed on July 1, 1994, with the merger of the Britt and Kanawha districts. Kanawha is also home to Kanawha Christian School which serves kindergarten through 8th grade students in a 35-mile radius.

References

{{authority control Cities in Hancock County, Iowa Cities in Iowa Populated places established in 1899 1899 establishments in Iowa