Mahaska 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 ...

located in the U.S. state of

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 22,190. 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 Oskaloosa. Mahaska County comprises the Oskaloosa, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Mahaska County was formed in February 1843. The county has been self-governing since February 5, 1844. It was named after Chief Mahaska of the

Iowa people The Iowa, also known as Ioway or Báxoje (, "grey snow people"), are a Native American tribe. Historically, they spoke a Chiwere language, Chiwere Siouan language. Today, they are enrolled in either of two federally recognized tribes: the Iowa T ...

. The county was the first in Iowa to have a sheriff and a justice of peace.Mahaska County
The first courthouse was completed in January 1846. When a larger structure was required, the second courthouse was constructed in 1885–86, first being used on February 27, 1886. The first school, a small log cabin one-half mile (ca. 2 km) east of Oskaloosa, was opened on September 16, 1844, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church opened as the first church in 1846. On July 2, 1850, the first edition of the ''Iowa Herald'' was issued (today the ''Oskaloosa Herald''). The first tracks of the Des Moines Valley Railroad were laid through the county in 1864. Coal mining was once a major industry in Mahaska County. During the 19th century, Muchakinock, about south of Oskaloosa, was probably the largest and most prosperous coal camp in Iowa.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 63 *

Iowa Highway 23 Iowa Highway 23 (Iowa 23) is a state highway in the southeastern part of the state. Its designation begins at Iowa 149 north of Ottumwa and ends at Iowa 92 in Oskaloosa. The route was created in 1997 when U.S. Highway 63 ( ...

* Iowa Highway 92 * Iowa Highway 163 * Iowa Highway 146 * Iowa Highway 149

Transit

Adjacent counties

* Jasper County (northwest) * Poweshiek County (north) * Keokuk County (east) * Wapello County (southeast) * Monroe County (southwest) * Marion County (west)

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 22,190 in the county, with a population density of . 96.02% of the population reported being of one race. 90.01% were non-Hispanic White, 1.78% were Black, 2.16% were Hispanic, 0.18% were Native American, 1.14% were Asian, 0.07% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.66% were some other race or more than one race. There were 9,680 housing units, of which 8,799 were occupied.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 22,381 in the county, with a population density of . There were 9,766 housing units, of which 8,975 were occupied.

2000 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 2000, there were 22,335 people, 8,880 households, and 6,144 families residing in the county. 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 9,551 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.20%

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 ...

, 0.64%

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 ...

, 0.19% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.03%

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 ...

, 0.30% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population 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. There were 8,880 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% 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, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $37,314, and the median income for a family was $43,557. Males had a median income of $32,618 versus $23,192 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 county was $18,232. About 7.50% of families and 9.80% 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 11.70% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Barnes City * Beacon * Eddyville * Fremont * Keomah Village * Leighton * New Sharon * Oskaloosa * Rose Hill * University Park

Unincorporated communities

* Cedar * Hopewell *

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

* Lacey * Lakonta

Townships

* Adams * Black Oak * Cedar * East Des Moines * Garfield * Harrison * Jefferson * Lincoln * Madison * Monroe * Pleasant Grove *

Prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

* Richland * Scott *

Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...

* Union * West Des Moines * White Oak

Population ranking

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

Politics

Mahaska County is a strongly Republican county. Only six Republican Party presidential candidates from 1880 to the present day have failed to win the county, most recently

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

in 1964 in his landslide loss statewide & nationally to Lyndon B. Johnson.

References

External links

Mahaska County website
{{Coord, 41, 20, 02, N, 92, 38, 44, W, region:US-IA_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title Iowa placenames of Native American origin 1843 establishments in Iowa Territory Populated places established in 1843