![Depot at Okoboji, Iowa (1902)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Depot_at_Okoboji%2C_Iowa_%281902%29.jpg)
Okoboji is a city in
Dickinson County Dickinson County is the name of three counties in the United States:
* Dickinson County, Iowa
* Dickinson County, Kansas
* Dickinson County, Michigan
See also
* Dickenson County, Virginia
Dickenson County is a county located in the Commonw ...
,
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, along the eastern shore of
West Okoboji Lake
West Okoboji Lake (sometimes known as West Lake Okoboji) is a natural body of water, approximately in area, in Dickinson County in northwestern Iowa in the United States. It is part of the chain of lakes known as the Iowa Great Lakes. The ar ...
in the
Iowa Great Lakes
The Iowa Great Lakes, often referred to as ''Okoboji'', is a group of natural lakes in northwestern Iowa in the United States. There are seven lakes in the region totaling with the three principal lakes of the group being Big Spirit Lake, West O ...
region. At the time of the
2020 census, its population was 768.
Geography
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 , of which is land and is water.
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 807 people, 427 households, and 241 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 1,167 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.8%
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 ...
, 0.1%
Asian, 0.5% 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 0.5% 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 ...
or
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 2.6% of the population.
There were 427 households, of which 14.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were
married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.39.
The median age in the city was 55.2 years. 11.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.6% were from 25 to 44; 35.3% were from 45 to 64; and 29% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 820 people, 427 households, and 240 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 944 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.66%
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 ...
, 0.12%
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 ...
, 0.73%
Native American, 0.12% 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 0.37% 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 ...
or
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 0.73% of the population.
There were 427 households, out of which 16.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were
married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.6% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.50.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $54,659. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $24,018 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 $29,297. About 2.6% of families and 5.3% 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 5.0% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Most of the community is served by the
Okoboji Community School District
Okoboji Community School District (OCSD) is a rural public school district headquartered in Milford, Iowa. It operates Okoboji Elementary School (Milford), Okoboji Middle School ( Arnolds Park), and Okoboji High School (Milford).
The logo of t ...
. The district was established on July 1, 1988 by the merger of the Arnolds Park and Milford school districts.
Okoboji High School
Okoboji High School is a rural public high school in Milford, Iowa. It is the primary senior high school in the Okoboji Community School District. Their mascot is Pioneer Pete.
The school district serves Milford, Arnolds Park, most of Fosto ...
in Milford is the local high school.
Tourism
Okoboji is a major summer tourism area. A growing number of resorts around the Iowa Great Lakes and the proximity of other tourist-friendly sites, such as
Arnolds Park and
Spirit Lake, have contributed to its growing popularity. Okoboji has also become a recognizable name around the country due to the sales of many products that proudly display the town name in bold letters. Visitors to Okoboji will immediately notice bumper stickers, mugs, and sweatshirts touting the fictitious
University of Okoboji
The University of Okoboji is a fictional university in the state of Iowa in the United States of America. The university was the creation of three brothers in the early 1970s, who printed T-shirts with an "official" school crest. The word "Okoboji" ...
where many locals claim to have received an education.
University of Okoboji T-shirts or sweatshirts are popular with college students in the Midwest.
References
External links
Official city website
{{authority control
Cities in Dickinson County, Iowa
Cities in Iowa