Readlyn is a city in Bremer County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 845 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Waterloo– Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is known for its culture surrounding the " Grump", a

title of honor A title of honor or honorary title is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits. Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed do ...

and area

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

character inspired by a real resident of Readlyn in the early 20th century. A post office opened in Readlyn in 1904.

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 845 people, 331 households, and 229 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 2,571.3 inhabitants per square mile (992.8/km²). There were 351 housing units at an average density of 1,068.1 per square mile (412.4/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 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.0% Black or African American, 0.0% 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 ...

, 0.5% from other races and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 2.2% of the population. Of the 331 households, 32.9% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% 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, 8.5% were cohabitating couples, 21.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 13.0% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 30.8% of all households were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 36.4 years. 29.3% of the residents were under the age of 20; 6.5% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 and 44; 19.4% were from 45 and 64; and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 808 people, 338 households, and 222 families living in the city. The

was . There were 346 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.0%

, 0.5%

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, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 0.2% 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 1.2% of the population. There were 338 households, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 786 people, 322 households, and 223 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 326 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.35%

, 0.38%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.64% Asian, and 0.51% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population. There were 322 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were

living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01. 27.7% were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,625, and the median income for a family was $52,308. Males had a median income of $32,313 versus $24,625 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 $17,721. About 2.4% of families and 2.7% 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 2.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The

Wapsie Valley Community School District The Wapsie Valley School District, or Wapsie Valley Schools, is a public school district serving the towns of Fairbank and Readlyn and surrounding rural areas in eastern Buchanan County and western Black Hawk County. The school's mascot is ...

operates local public schools.

Culture

Grump

Readlyn's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

is "857 Friendly People & One Old Grump", as is prominently written on the city's sign on

Iowa Highway 3 Iowa Highway 3 (Iowa 3) is a state highway that runs from east to west across the state of Iowa. It is the longest state highway in Iowa, at long. Iowa 3 begins at the South Dakota state line where it continues as South Dakota High ...

. This refers to a local legend associated with Readlyn, as well as an actual

given to a random senior resident of Readlyn in an annual ceremony by the Readlyn Community Club. According to local legend, Readlyn's "Grump" originated early in the city's history, when a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

passed through the area. In 1904, an unkempt elderly

nomad Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

whose real name is not known, who had been

freighthopping Freighthopping or trainhopping is the act of boarding and riding a freightcar without permission. This activity itself is often considered to be illegal, although this varies by geography. It may be associated with other illegal activities such ...

since his youth, disembarked from a train that arrived in Readlyn with the intent of settling down there. However, within his first day of staying in Readlyn, residents noticed he would persistently ignore everyone who tried to greet him and never seemed to display much emotion aside from a fatigued frown, and soon he became known in Readlyn as the "Old Grump". The Old Grump's reputation held until roughly one year later when, upon experiencing an unclear amusing event in the city, he laughed "for the first time in years". The tradition of honorarily assigning a Grump began in 1990, when Sam Sickles volunteered to be the first honorary Grump, owing to his age and grumpy attitude. Every third week of June since then, during a series of community events known as "Grump Days", a new Grump has been chosen from Readlyn residents aged 65 or older who submit their names for selection. The only exception to this was in 2020, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

; to compensate, two Grumps were crowned in 2021. Though the title's name suggests it is given for poor behavior, the Grump title is considered a prestigious honor by Readlyn residents, and those who have been the Grump generally view it as a source of pride. The Grump is expected to participate in community events and parades, writes a monthly article about positive local events in the city newspaper, and is given benefits and goods such as a special hat and a custom

license plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British, Indian and Australian English), license plate (American English) or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for ...

. Photos of the Grumps are preserved in the Readlyn Historical Society, as well as at Grumpy's Spirits, Suds & Grub, a local restaurant. The "Grump" as a character is also associated with Readlyn institutions such as a cartoon-styled statue of a "Grump", loosely based on the original Old Grump, on a bench serving as a local

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...

Notes

References

{{authority control Cities in Bremer County, Iowa Cities in Iowa Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area