Kalona is a city in Washington County, Iowa. It is part of the Iowa City metropolitan area. The population was 2,630 at the time of the 2020 census. Kalona is the second-largest city in Washington County.

History

Amish The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...

settlement in what is now the Kalona area began in the 1840s, placing the Amish among the first European settlers in the area. The split between Old Order Amish and Amish Mennonites occurred in the 1860s in most places, but it was not until the 1880s that the formal split occurred in Iowa, even though a process of sorting out between conservatives and change-minded Amish had begun a decade earlier or so in Iowa. Most Amish Mennonites later assimilated and lost their Amish identity. The

Beachy Amish The Beachy Amish Mennonites, also known as the Beachy Amish or Beachy Mennonites, are a Conservative Anabaptist tradition of Christianity. Commonalities held by Beachy Amish congregations include adhering to the Dordrecht Confession of Faith ...

broke away from the Old Orders in the 1920s. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway built a 66-mile branch from

Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...

to What Cheer via Kalona in 1879. Kalona was established by the railroad on August 6, 1879. The name was suggested to the railroad by a Mr. Myers, who owned a bull of that name. The town remained unincorporated until 1890.

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 of it 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 2,630 people, 1,110 households, and 680 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 1,220.5 inhabitants per square mile (471.2/km²). There were 1,155 housing units at an average density of 536.0 per square mile (207.0/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 92.2%

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 ...

, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% 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 ...

, 2.0% from other races and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 5.2% of the population. Of the 1,110 households, 26.7% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% 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, 5.7% were cohabitating couples, 27.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 16.7% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 38.7% of all households were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 43.2 years. 25.4% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.1% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 and 44; 22.5% were from 45 and 64; and 24.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 2,363 people, 1,053 households, and 657 families living in the city. The

was . There were 1,141 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2%

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 0.9% 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 2.0% of the population. There were 1,053 households, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 45.7 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.5% male and 54.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,293 people, 947 households, and 597 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 986 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.08%

, 0.22%

, 0.48% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.26% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population. There were 947 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $45,897. Males had a median income of $30,776 versus $24,974 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 $22,474. About 5.0% of families and 6.7% 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 7.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Not far from Kalona is located one of the largest

settlements west of the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

with eleven church districts and a population of roughly 1,200 people. It is the oldest in Iowa, founded in 1846. The Kalona New Order Amish affiliation is one of the most liberal concerning the use of technology and allows tractors for field work. Kalona is the home of the Iowa Mennonite Archives, located at the Kalona Historical Village. Noah Troyer (1831–1886), one of two sleeping preachers among the Amish Mennonites, lived three miles north of Kalona.

Education

The Mid-Prairie Community School District operates local area public schools.

References

External links

Kalona Chamber of Commerce
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Kalona {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Washington County, Iowa Amish in the United States Iowa City metropolitan area Populated places established in 1879 1879 establishments in Iowa