Jefferson County
County
Courthouse in Fairfield is on the NRHP
Courthouse in Fairfield is on the NRHP
Map of Iowa highlighting Jefferson County
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Map of the United States highlighting Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°01′53″N 91°56′41″W / 41.031388888889°N 91.944722222222°W / 41.031388888889; -91.944722222222
Country United States
State Iowa
Founded21 January 1839
Named forThomas Jefferson
SeatFairfield
Largest cityFairfield
Area
 • Total437 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Land436 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Water1.4 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total15,663
 • Estimate 
(2021)[1]
15,647
 • Density36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitehttps://jeffersoncounty.iowa.gov/

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 15,663.[2] The county seat is Fairfield.[3] The county was formed in January 1839, and was named for U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.[4][5]

Jefferson County comprises the Fairfield, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 436 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) (0.3%) is water.[6] The Skunk River flows southward through the NE part of the county, while the SW part of the county is drained by the nearby Des Moines River, which flows southeastward through Van Buren and Wapello counties.

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18509,904—
186015,03851.8%
187017,83918.6%
188017,469−2.1%
189015,184−13.1%
190017,43714.8%
191015,951−8.5%
192016,4403.1%
193016,241−1.2%
194015,762−2.9%
195015,696−0.4%
196015,8180.8%
197015,774−0.3%
198016,3163.4%
199016,3100.0%
200016,181−0.8%
201016,8434.1%
202015,663−7.0%
2021 (est.)15,647−0.1%
US Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2018[11]
Population of Jefferson County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 15,663 in the county, with a population density of 35.9000/sq mi (13.8611/km2). There were 7,689 housing units, of which 6,902 were occupied.[2]

Jefferson County Racial Composition[12]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 13,425 85.71%
Black or African American (NH) 409 2.61%
Native American (NH) 43 0.27%
Asian (NH) 500 3.2%
Pacific Islander (NH) 9 .06%
Other/Mixed (NH) 667 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 610 4%

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 16,843 in the county, with a population density of 38.6893/sq mi (14.9380/km2). There were 7,594 housing units, of which 6,846 were occupied.[13]

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Jefferson County

As of the 2000 United States Census,[14] there were 16,181 people, 6,649 households, and 4,281 families in the county. The population density was 37 inhabitants per square mile (14/km2). There were 7,241 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.02% White, 0.64% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,649 households, out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.10% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 30.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.

The county population contained 24.40% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 29.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,851, and the median income for a family was $43,819. Males had a median income of $32,066 versus $22,479 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,579. About 7.40% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Fairfield Business Park built north of Fairfield, in 1998.[15][16]

Jefferson County's executive branch is a three-member board of supervisors who are elected to four-year terms. Other elected officials are county auditor, county sheriff, county treasurer, and county recorder.[17]

Politics

Historically, Jefferson County heavily favored presidential candidates from the Republican Party. It is noted for being one of the few counties in Iowa that never voted for Woodrow Wilson, along with having never given a Democrat who carried the county over sixty percent of the vote. In recent decades, politics within the county have become more competitive. From 1992 to 2012, the county has been carried by the Democratic presidential candidate in every election with the exception of 2000, when George W. Bush obtained a plurality. The last Republican to win the county with a majority of the vote was Ronald Reagan in 1984. In the 1996 presidential election, Jefferson County was the only county in the United States to give any (winning) candidate less than forty percent of the vote, with Bill Clinton winning the county 35.1% to Bob Dole's 34.4%. In 2016, Donald Trump received a plurality of the votes in Jefferson County. The county has been the strongest basis of support for the Natural Law Party's presidential campaigns, due to the presence of the Maharishi Vedic City and Maharishi International University.

United States presidential election results for Jefferson County, Iowa[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 4,443 49.59% 4,319 48.21% 197 2.20%
2016 3,748 45.95% 3,710 45.49% 698 8.56%
2012 3,436 40.28% 4,798 56.25% 296 3.47%
2008 3,324 38.51% 5,070 58.73% 238 2.76%
2004 3,648 44.05% 4,490 54.22% 143 1.73%
2000 3,248 43.03% 2,863 37.93% 1,437 19.04%
1996 2,541 34.35% 2,597 35.11% 2,259 30.54%
1992 2,541 30.46% 2,562 30.72% 3,238 38.82%
1988 3,614 49.53% 3,594 49.26% 88 1.21%
1984 4,727 61.19% 2,961 38.33% 37 0.48%
1980 4,099 56.16% 2,577 35.31% 623 8.54%
1976 3,746 51.71% 3,377 46.62% 121 1.67%
1972 4,628 64.83% 2,362 33.09% 149 2.09%
1968 4,130 59.52% 2,411 34.75% 398 5.74%
1964 2,755 39.84% 4,135 59.79% 26 0.38%
1960 4,942 64.00% 2,780 36.00% 0 0.00%
1956 4,807 62.76% 2,845 37.15% 7 0.09%
1952 5,630 69.09% 2,470 30.31% 49 0.60%
1948 3,906 55.11% 3,033 42.79% 149 2.10%
1944 4,335 59.03% 2,926 39.84% 83 1.13%
1940 4,891 58.67% 3,402 40.81% 43 0.52%
1936 4,037 50.84% 3,690 46.47% 214 2.69%
1932 2,955 41.56% 4,056 57.05% 99 1.39%
1928 4,919 69.05% 2,159 30.31% 46 0.65%
1924 4,062 61.61% 1,249 18.94% 1,282 19.44%
1920 4,558 74.62% 1,450 23.74% 100 1.64%
1916 2,167 54.61% 1,734 43.70% 67 1.69%
1912 1,378 37.63% 1,311 35.80% 973 26.57%
1908 2,271 58.29% 1,439 36.94% 186 4.77%
1904 2,330 62.23% 1,172 31.30% 242 6.46%
1900 2,482 58.73% 1,612 38.14% 132 3.12%
1896 2,478 57.24% 1,772 40.93% 79 1.82%

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Jefferson County.[2]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 † Fairfield City 9,416
2 Batavia City 430
3 Maharishi Vedic City City 277
4 Libertyville City 274
5 Lockridge City 244
6 Packwood City 183
7 Pleasant Plain City 84
8 Coppock (mostly in Henry and Washington Counties) City 36

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "QuickFacts: Jefferson County, Iowa". Census.gov. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
    2. 1 2 3 "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
    3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
    4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 168.
    5. ↑ Jefferson County Archived October 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". US Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
    7. ↑ "US Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
    8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
    9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
    10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
    11. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
    12. ↑ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jefferson County, Iowa".
    13. ↑ "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010" (PDF). US Census Bureau – American FactFinder. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
    14. ↑ "US Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
    15. ↑ Jefferson County Assessor Office – Fairfield Business Park
    16. ↑ Fairfield Business Park 41°03′50″N 91°58′18″W / 41.0639°N 91.9716°W
    17. ↑ "Jefferson County Home Page". Retrieved October 17, 2021.
    18. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
    19. ↑ "Coppock, IA". Retrieved October 17, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    20. ↑ "Beckwith, IA". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    21. ↑ "Beckwith (in Jefferson County, IA)". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Home Town Locator.
    22. ↑ "East Pleasant Plain, IA". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    23. ↑ "East Pleasant Plain, Walnut Township". June 28, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Towns etc. of Jefferson County.
    24. ↑ "East Pleasant Plain". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Home Town Locator.
    25. ↑ "Germanville, IA". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    26. ↑ "Germanville (in Jefferson County, IA)". July 1, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Home Town Locator.
    27. ↑ "Glasgow, IA". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    28. ↑ "Glasgow (in Jefferson County, IA". July 1, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Home Town Locator.
    29. ↑ "Perlee,IA". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    30. ↑ "Perlee (in Jefferson County, IA". July 1, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Home Town Locator.
    31. ↑ "Salina, IA". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Google Maps.
    32. ↑ "Salina (in Jefferson County, IA) Populated Place Profile". Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Home Town Locator.
    33. ↑ "Salina, Iowa". January 6, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Forgotten Iowa.
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