Runnells is a city in the southeastern corner of Polk County,

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, United States. The population was 457 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

– West Des Moines

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

Runnells incorporated as a city on May 21, 1903. It was named for John S. Runnells, a former editorial writer for the ''

Iowa State Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the juncti ...

'' and private secretary for Governor Samuel Merrill.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 507 people, 179 households, and 135 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 187 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.0%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 179 households, of which 45.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.6% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.34. The median age in the city was 31.9 years. 33.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.4% were from 25 to 44; 18.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 352 people, 143 households, and 96 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 149 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.58%

, 0.28% Native American, and 1.14% from two or more races. There were 143 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were

living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05. 26.1% are under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $36,458 versus $26,563 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,643. None of the families and 2.8% of the population were living 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 no under eighteens and 9.3% of those over 64.

Notable person

Dennis Keeney Dennis R. Keeney (born July 2, 1937) is an American scientist in soil science and water chemistry. He was the first director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Ames, Iowa. Early life and education Keeney grew up on his family's ...

grew up on the Keeney Place/ family farm near Runnells

References

External links

{{authority control Cities in Polk County, Iowa Cities in Iowa Des Moines metropolitan area Populated places established in 1903 1903 establishments in Iowa