Thornton is a city in

Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Cerro Gordo County (; ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 43,127. Its county seat is Mason City, Iowa, Mason City. The county is named for ...

, United States. The population was 400 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Thornton, Iowa is located at (42.944972, -93.384115). 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 400 people, 185 households, and 119 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 321.6 inhabitants per square mile (124.2/km²). There were 205 housing units at an average density of 164.8 per square mile (63.6/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 95.2%

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 ...

, 0.5% 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 3.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

persons of any race comprised 2.8% of the population. Of the 185 households, 28.1% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% 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, 11.4% were cohabitating couples, 15.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 23.8% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 35.7% of all households were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 38.0 years. 22.0% of the residents were under the age of 20; 8.2% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 and 44; 22.8% were from 45 and 64; and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 422 people, 188 households, and 125 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 204 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.6%

, 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 ...

, 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 0.7% of the population. There were 188 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were

living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 20.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.5% male and 49.5% female. Matt Ingebretson is the mayor of Thornton.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 422 people, 183 households, and 124 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 193 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.58%

, 0.24% Native American, 0.71% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population. There were 183 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were

living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81. Age spread: 21.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,125, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $30,893 versus $19,000 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 $16,622. About 5.0% of families and 11.0% 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 14.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Thornton is part of the

West Fork Community School District The West Fork Community School District is a consolidated rural public school district in Iowa, with campuses in Rockwell and Sheffield. It resides in sections of Cerro Gordo and Franklin counties, with smaller portions in Hancock and Wrigh ...

, formed in 2011 by the merger of the Sheffield–Chapin–Meservey–Thornton (SCMT) Community School District and the

Rockwell–Swaledale Community School District Rockwell–Swaledale Community School District was a school district headquartered in Rockwell, Iowa, USA. Located in Cerro Gordo County, it served Rockwell and Swaledale. History The district was formed in 1960 by the merger of the Rockwell C ...

.REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66
"

Iowa Department of Education The Iowa Department of Education sets the standards for all public institutions of education in Iowa and accredits private as well as public schools. It is headquartered in Des Moines. Organization As of 2020, the Iowa Department of Education c ...

. Retrieved on January 13, 2019. Thornton became a part of the West Fork Schools whole grade-sharing partnership as of the 2008–09 school year, prior to the formal district merger. SCMT was formed in 2007 by the merger of the

Meservey–Thornton Community School District Meservey–Thornton Community School District was a school district headquartered in Thornton, Iowa, serving Thornton and Meservey, Iowa, Meservey. - The page notes that the reorganization into the West Fork CSD, meaning when the district legally ...

and the

Sheffield–Chapin Community School District Sheffield–Chapin Community School District was a school district headquartered in Sheffield, Iowa, serving Sheffield and Chapin. History It formed in 1960 as the result of the merger between the Sheffield Community School District and the Ch ...

. Meservey–Thornton, in turn, formed in 1963 from the merger of the Thornton Community School District and the Meservey Community School District. Thornton Public Library serves the community.Thornton Public Library
" City of Thornton. Retrieved on January 14, 2019.

Thornton School

The school building served the community until 2007. The mascot for secondary athletic teams was the Lancers.Community History
" City of Thornton. December 7, 2013. Retrieved on January 14, 2019. There was a prior school building that was destroyed in a fire. The new building opened in 1936 and received extra classrooms, office space, a gymnasium, and a library in a 1955 addition. The building initially served Thornton and its associated school district only, but after it merged into Meservey–Thornton in 1963 it began serving the consolidated district's senior high school students. Junior high school students were later moved to the building. The Meservey School closed in 1983, making the Thornton School K–12. High school students were moved out of the building as a result of the grade-sharing agreement between Meservey–Thornton and Sheffield–Chapin. At that point the Lancers mascot was now only used at the middle school level. Due to declining enrollment, the former S-C, M-T, and neighboring Rockwell–Swaledale school districts entered a whole-grade sharing agreement to become the West Fork school system in 2008, with the "Warhawks" as the new mascot. The Thornton building closed after the 2007–08 season after 72 years of service, and all students now attend Sheffield and Rockwell. Each remaining school will have K–3, Rockwell will house 4–8 and Sheffield 9–12. The school districts formally merged in 2011. On July 5, 2008, an all-school reunion was held to commemorate the closing of the Thornton School. In 2007 the Lancers mascot was discontinued. The Thornton residents held a celebratory farewell parade at that time. The school closed that in July 2008. The Thornton school was demolished in 2012 by the Dumont company Peterson Backhoe; the SCMT district chose demolition after a tentative agreement for another party to buy the building fell through in 2009.

References

External links

Thornton, Iowa
{{authority control Cities in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Cities in Iowa Mason City, Iowa micropolitan area