Hancock County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,795. The

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 use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Garner. The county was founded on January 15, 1851, and named in honor of

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...

, a leader of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 18 * US 69

U.S. Highway 69 * Elongated circle 17

Iowa Highway 17

Adjacent counties

* Winnebago County (north) * Cerro Gordo County (east) * Wright County (south) * Kossuth County (west)

History

Hancock county was established as a result of an election on June 28, 1858. At the time two townships, Avery and Madison, were also established. Soon after
courthouse
was built in

Garner, Iowa Garner is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,065 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, an increase from 2,922 in 2000 United States Census, 2000. History Garner was named after Col. ...

that continues to be the county seat.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 10,795 in the county, with a population density of . 95.32% of the population reported being of one race. There were 5,113 housing units, of which 4,585 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 11,341 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,330 housing units, of which 4,741 were occupied.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 12,100 people, 4,795 households, and 3,375 families in the county. The population density was . There were 5,164 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.70%

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 ...

, 0.09%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 1.38% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. 2.49%. were

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. Of the 4,795 households 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were married couples living together, 6.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.50% of households were one person and 13.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01. The age distribution was 26.50% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males. The median household income was $37,703 and the median family income was $44,248. Males had a median income of $29,452 versus $20,376 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,957. About 5.20% of families and 6.00% 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 6.90% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

As of December 2008, the unemployment rate in Hancock County was 9.1%, a sharp rise from 4.0% in December 2007. In 2016 the unemployment rate dropped back to 2.2%.

Communities

Cities

* Britt * Corwith * Crystal Lake * Forest City (part) * Garner * Goodell * Kanawha * Klemme *

Woden Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Emp ...

Census-designated places

* Duncan * Hayfield * Hutchins *

Miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...

Other unincorporated community

* Stilson

Townships

Hancock County is divided into sixteen townships: *

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

* Avery * Bingham * Boone * Britt * Concord *

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

* Ell * Ellington * Erin *

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

* Madison * Magor * Orthel * Twin Lake

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Hancock County. † ''county seat''

Politics

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Algona Community School District * Belmond-Klemme Community School District * Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Community School District * Forest City Community School District * Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School District * West Fork Community School District * West Hancock Community School District Former school districts: * Corwith-Wesley Community School District,
Text list
/ref> dissolved on July 1, 2015. *

Lu Verne Community School District Lu Verne Community School District was a rural state school, public school district headquartered in Lu Verne, Iowa. The district, which occupied sections of Kossuth County, Iowa, Kossuth, Hancock County, Iowa, Hancock, and Humboldt County, ...

, consolidated into Algona CSD on July 1, 2023. * Sheffield Chapin Meservey Thornton Community School District (SCMT), consolidated into West Fork CSD on July 1, 2011. * Titonka Consolidated School District, consolidated into Algona CSD on July 1, 2014. * Ventura Community School District, consolidated into Garner-Hayfield-Ventura on July 1, 2015. * Woden-Crystal Lake Community School District, consolidated into Forest City on July 1, 2013, with a portion going to West Fork.

References

External links

Hancock County, Iowa
Official website {{coord, 43, 05, 00, N, 93, 44, 11, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title 1851 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1851