Oakley is a city in

Cassia County, Idaho Cassia County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 Census the county had a population of 24,655. The county seat and largest city is Burley. Cassia County is included in the Burley, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area. Histor ...

, United States. The population was 763 at the 2010 census, up from 668 in 2000.Spokesman-Review
- 2010 census - Oakley, Idaho - accessed 2011-12-27 It is part of the Burley Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The city was named for William Oakley, the proprietor of a 19th-century stagecoach station located at a spring currently located about west of the present townsite known as Oakley Meadows. Oakley Academy was established in 1901, and Howells Opera House was established in 1907.

Geography

Oakley is located at the very southern limit of the

Snake River Plain The Snake River cutting through the plain leaves many canyons and Canyon#List of gorges, gorges, such as this one near Twin Falls, Idaho The Snake River Plain is a geology, geologic feature located primarily within the U.S. state of Idaho. ...

, and close to Goose Creek, between the Middle and Albion Mountains. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Oakley has a

cold semi-arid climate Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Oakley was on July 21–22, 1893, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 9, 1933.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 763 people, 248 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 280 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 6.6% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 9.4% of the population. There were 248 households, of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.6% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.60. The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 35.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 20.8% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 668 people, 226 households, and 166 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 257 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.41%

, 0.15% Asian, 3.14% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.19% of the population. There were 226 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.60. In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,643, and the median income for a family was $34,792. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $16,667 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $13,983. About 9.1% of families and 14.7% 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 ...

, including 27.2% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Oakley Stone is a type of building stone quarried south of Oakley.

Arts and culture

Oakley Pioneer Days is an annual even celebrating "the settling of the west". The event has included a rodeo, a pony express race, food vendors, and sporting events. Oakley is notable for its historic Victorian homes. The Oakley Historic District is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The entire town is listed due to the number of stone and brick buildings that are over a century old. Oakley Valley Historical Museum chronicles the history of Oakley and the surrounding area. The Oakley Free Library was established in 1973.

Education

Oakley is in the Cassia County School District. Schools located in Oakley include Oakley Elementary School and Oakley Junior/Senior High School.

Notable people

Scott Bedke Scott Conrad Bedke (born April 27, 1958) is an American politician serving as the 44th lieutenant governor of Idaho since 2023. A Republican, he served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives for the 27A district. In December 2012, Bed ...

, member of

Idaho House of Representatives The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate seats. ...

. *

Debbie Critchfield Debbie Critchfield (born April 9, 1970) is an American politician. She has served as the superintendent of public instruction of Idaho since 2023. Critchfield was previously the president of the Idaho State Board of Education. She is a member of t ...

, politician. * David B. Haight, former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, of the LDS Church

References

External links

* * {{authority control Cities in Cassia County, Idaho Cities in Idaho Burley, Idaho micropolitan area