Blairstown is a city in

Benton County, Iowa Benton County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,575. Its county seat and largest city is Vinton. The county is named for Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator from Missouri. Benton County is ...

, United States. The population was 713 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Blairstown 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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1862. It was surveyed in the spring of 1862 by George F. Kirby who also surveyed Belle Plaine. It was named for its proprietor and railroad magnate,

John Insley Blair John Insley Blair (August 22, 1802 – December 2, 1899) was an American entrepreneur, railroad magnate, philanthropist, and one of the 19th century's wealthiest men. Early life Blair was born at Foul Rift in White Township, New Jersey, just s ...

who also founded Belle Plaine.

Geography

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 land.

Demographics

2020 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 2020, there were 713 people, 300 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 1,438.2 inhabitants per square mile (555.3/km²). There were 314 housing units at an average density of 633.4 per square mile (244.5/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 88.8%

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 ...

, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 3.4% from other races and 7.4% 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 many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

persons of any race comprised 10.2% of the population. Of the 300 households, 28.0% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% 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, 8.3% were cohabitating couples, 23.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 21.0% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 36.0% of all households were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 36.2 years. 27.8% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.5% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 and 44; 23.6% were from 45 and 64; and 16.0% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 692 people, 295 households, and 199 families living in the city. The

was . There were 314 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.8%

, 0.7%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 0.1% 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 4.3% of the population. There were 295 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age in the city was 39 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 682 people, 289 households, and 195 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 309 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.41%

, 0.15% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population. There were 289 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.87. 24.8% are under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,662, and the median income for a family was $47,778. Males had a median income of $36,705 versus $22,083 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 $16,828. About 5.9% of families and 11.0% 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 17.5% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Blairstown holds an annual "Sauerkraut Days" celebration.

Rolle Bolle

Many Blairstown residents still play the Belgian yard game Rolle Bolle (called ''krulbollen'' in Belgium), first brought to the region by Belgian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blairstown's courts are located in the Blairstown Ball Park. A game of Rolle Bolle is part of the annual Sauerkraut Days celebration. Rolle Bolle is also played in the nearby towns of Belle Plaine, Clutier, Victor, Marengo, and Ladora.

Education

Benton Community School District operates local public schools.

References

{{authority control Cities in Benton County, Iowa Cities in Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area 1862 establishments in Iowa

History

Geography

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Arts and culture

Rolle Bolle

Education

See also

References