Kossuth County, Iowa

County in Iowa, United States

County in Iowa

Kossuth County

County

Kossuth County Courthouse

Location within the U.S. state of Iowa

Iowa's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 43°12′18″N 94°12′20″W﻿ / ﻿43.205°N 94.205555555556°W﻿ / 43.205; -94.205555555556
Country|  United States
State|  Iowa
Founded| January 15, 1851
Named after| Lajos Kossuth
Seat| Algona
Largest city| Algona
Area

• Total

| 974 sq mi (2,520 km2)
• Land| 973 sq mi (2,520 km2)
• Water| 1.6 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 14,828
• Density| 15/sq mi (6/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 4th
Website| kossuthcounty.iowa.gov

Kossuth County (/kəˈsuːθ/) is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,828.[1] The county seat is Algona.[2]

## History

[edit]

Kossuth County was founded on January 15, 1851. It was named after Lajos Kossuth, Regent-President of Hungary who went into exile to America following the war of independence of Hungary from the Habsburg Dynasty.[3] The county was enlarged northward in 1857 by the inclusion of the former Bancroft County. Crocker County was another county created out of the same area of Kossuth County as Bancroft County but was reverted due to not being larger than 432 square miles (112,000 ha).[citation needed] Another attempt to create a new county called Larrabee County failed in 1914.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 974 square miles (2,520 km2), of which 973 square miles (2,520 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4] It is Iowa's largest county by area.

### Major highways

[edit]

* U.S. Highway 18
* U.S. Highway 169
* Iowa Highway 9
* Iowa Highway 15
* Iowa Highway 17

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Martin County, Minnesota (north)
* Faribault County, Minnesota (north)
* Winnebago County (northeast)
* Hancock County (southeast)
* Humboldt County (south)
* Palo Alto County (southwest)
* Emmet County (northwest)

### National protected area

[edit]

* Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1860| 416| | —
1870| 3,351| | 705.5%
1880| 6,178| | 84.4%
1890| 13,120| | 112.4%
1900| 22,720| | 73.2%
1910| 21,971| | −3.3%
1920| 25,082| | 14.2%
1930| 25,452| | 1.5%
1940| 26,630| | 4.6%
1950| 26,241| | −1.5%
1960| 25,314| | −3.5%
1970| 22,937| | −9.4%
1980| 21,891| | −4.6%
1990| 18,591| | −15.1%
2000| 17,163| | −7.7%
2010| 15,543| | −9.4%
2020| 14,828| | −4.6%
2023 (est.)| 14,396| [5]| −2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2018[10]
Population of Kossuth County from US census data

### 2020 census

[edit]

2022 US Census population pyramid for Kossuth County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 14,828 in the county, with a population density of 15.2398/sq mi (5.88413/km2). 96.53% of the population reported being of one race. There were 7,216 housing units, of which 6,438 were occupied.[1]

Kossuth County Racial Composition[11] Race  | Num.  | Perc.

|
|

White (NH)  | 13,758  | 92.8%
Black or African American (NH)  | 71  | 0.47%
Native American (NH)  | 9  | 0.06%
Asian (NH)  | 71  | 0.47%
Pacific Islander (NH)  | 3  | 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH)  | 313  | 2.11%
Hispanic or Latino | 603  | 4.1%

### 2010 census

[edit]

The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of 15.9741/sq mi (6.16765/km2). There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.[12]

### 2000 census

[edit]

At the 2000 census there were 17,163 people, 6,974 households, and 4,791 families in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (6.9 people/km2). There were 7,605 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.76% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. 0.81%.[13] were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 6,974 households, 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 5.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 28.70% of households were one person and 15.50% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 25.80% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 20.10% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median household income was $34,562 and the median family income was $41,159. Males had a median income of $30,191 versus $20,184 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,598. About 7.50% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

### Census-designated places

[edit]

For use by the United States Census Bureau in population analysis, some of the rural population of Kossuth County has been grouped together as a Census-designated place.

* Irvington
* Sexton
* St. Benedict
* St. Joseph

### Population ranking

[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Kossuth County.[1]

† county seat

Rank  | City/Town/etc.  | Municipal type  | Population (2020 Census)

|
|
|

1  | † Algona | City  | 5,487
2  | Bancroft | City  | 699
3  | Swea City | City  | 566
4  | Titonka | City  | 511
5  | Whittemore | City  | 497
6  | Burt | City  | 418
7  | Wesley | City  | 391
8  | Fenton | City  | 271
9  | Lakota | City  | 267
10  | Lu Verne (partially in Humboldt County)  | City  | 228 (258 total)
11  | Lone Rock | City  | 146
12  | Ledyard | City  | 121
13  | St. Joseph | CDP  | 51
14  | Sexton | CDP  | 46
15  | Irvington | CDP  | 36
16  | St. Benedict | CDP  | 31
17  | West Bend (mostly in Palo Alto County)  | City  | 19 (791 total)

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Algona (County seat)
* Bancroft
* Burt
* Fenton
* Lakota
* Ledyard
* Lone Rock
* Lu Verne
* Swea City
* Titonka
* Wesley
* West Bend
* Whittemore

### Villages and Hamlets

[edit]

* German Valley

## Government

[edit]

### Townships

[edit]

* Buffalo
* Burt
* Cresco
* Eagle
* Fenton
* Garfield
* German
* Grant
* Greenwood
* Harrison
* Hebron
* Irvington
* Ledyard
* Lincoln
* Lotts Creek
* Lu Verne
* Plum Creek
* Portland
* Prairie
* Ramsey
* Riverdale
* Seneca
* Sherman
* Springfield
* Swea
* Union
* Wesley
* Whittemore

## Politics

[edit]

United States presidential election results for Kossuth County, Iowa[14] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 5,983  | 71.25% | 2,284  | 27.20%  | 130  | 1.55%
2020 | 6,275  | 69.03% | 2,696  | 29.66%  | 119  | 1.31%
2016 | 5,653  | 65.68% | 2,543  | 29.55%  | 411  | 4.78%
2012 | 4,937  | 55.33% | 3,850  | 43.15%  | 136  | 1.52%
2008 | 4,329  | 47.57%  | 4,625  | 50.82% | 146  | 1.60%
2004 | 5,042  | 54.46% | 4,132  | 44.63%  | 84  | 0.91%
2000 | 4,612  | 51.95% | 3,960  | 44.60%  | 306  | 3.45%
1996 | 3,477  | 40.88%  | 4,031  | 47.40% | 997  | 11.72%
1992 | 3,464  | 38.24%  | 3,660  | 40.40% | 1,935  | 21.36%
1988 | 3,938  | 43.24%  | 5,088  | 55.87% | 81  | 0.89%
1984 | 4,872  | 49.64% | 4,838  | 49.30%  | 104  | 1.06%
1980 | 5,568  | 54.26% | 3,810  | 37.13%  | 884  | 8.61%
1976 | 4,653  | 46.32%  | 5,190  | 51.66% | 203  | 2.02%
1972 | 5,841  | 56.39% | 4,393  | 42.41%  | 124  | 1.20%
1968 | 5,350  | 53.03% | 4,392  | 43.53%  | 347  | 3.44%
1964 | 3,776  | 35.38%  | 6,893  | 64.58% | 5  | 0.05%
1960 | 6,278  | 51.95% | 5,806  | 48.05%  | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 6,680  | 54.74% | 5,514  | 45.18%  | 10  | 0.08%
1952 | 7,765  | 64.15% | 4,330  | 35.77%  | 10  | 0.08%
1948 | 4,186  | 40.43%  | 6,039  | 58.33% | 128  | 1.24%
1944 | 4,918  | 47.14%  | 5,488  | 52.60% | 27  | 0.26%
1940 | 5,639  | 46.35%  | 6,502  | 53.45% | 24  | 0.20%
1936 | 3,569  | 30.09%  | 8,071  | 68.04% | 223  | 1.88%
1932 | 3,075  | 30.30%  | 6,925  | 68.24% | 148  | 1.46%
1928 | 4,878  | 50.36% | 4,736  | 48.90%  | 72  | 0.74%
1924 | 3,806  | 43.51% | 1,369  | 15.65%  | 3,572  | 40.84%
1920 | 6,018  | 77.46% | 1,682  | 21.65%  | 69  | 0.89%
1916 | 2,647  | 59.63% | 1,748  | 39.38%  | 44  | 0.99%
1912 | 857  | 18.69%  | 1,813  | 39.53%  | 1,916  | 41.78%
1908 | 2,612  | 58.28% | 1,826  | 40.74%  | 44  | 0.98%
1904 | 3,001  | 68.02% | 1,352  | 30.64%  | 59  | 1.34%
1900 | 3,122  | 63.06% | 1,777  | 35.89%  | 52  | 1.05%
1896 | 2,930  | 60.30% | 1,861  | 38.30%  | 68  | 1.40%

## Education

[edit]

School districts include:[15]

* Algona Community School District
* North Union Community School District
* North Iowa Community School District
* North Kossuth Community School District
* Twin Rivers Community School District
* West Bend-Mallard Community School District

Former school districts:

* Corwith-Wesley Community School District,[16] dissolved on July 1, 2015.[17]
* Lu Verne Community School District,[15] consolidated into Algona CSD on July 1, 2023.[17]
* Sentral Community School District,[16] consolidated into North Union CSD on July 1, 2014.[17]
* Titonka Consolidated School District,[16] consolidated into Algona CSD on July 1, 2014.[17]

## See also

[edit]

* Iowa portal

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Kossuth County, Iowa

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". census.gov. United states Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. pp. 177.
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
10. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
11. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kossuth County, Iowa".
12. ^ "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
15. ^ a b "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kossuth County, IA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2024. \- Text list
16. ^ a b c "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Kossuth County, IA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2024. \- Text list
17. ^ a b c d "Reorganization and Dissolution Action Since 1965-66". Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved August 25, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kossuth County, Iowa.

* County website Archived May 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine

Places adjacent to Kossuth County, Iowa

| Emmet County | Martin County, Minnesota and Faribault County, Minnesota | Winnebago County

|
|

|  |

Kossuth County, Iowa

|  |
Palo Alto County | Humboldt County | Hancock County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Kossuth County, Iowa, United States

County seat: Algona

Cities|

* Algona
* Bancroft
* Burt
* Fenton
* Lakota
* Ledyard
* Lone Rock
* Lu Verne‡
* Swea City
* Titonka
* Wesley
* West Bend‡
* Whittemore

Map of Iowa highlighting Kossuth County

Townships|

* Buffalo
* Burt
* Cresco
* Eagle
* Fenton
* Garfield
* German
* Grant
* Greenwood
* Harrison
* Hebron
* Irvington
* Ledyard
* Lincoln
* Lotts Creek
* Lu Verne
* Plum Creek
* Portland
* Prairie
* Ramsey
* Riverdale
* Seneca
* Sherman
* Springfield
* Swea
* Union
* Wesley
* Whittemore

CDPs|

* Irvington
* Sexton
* St. Benedict
* St. Joseph

Unincorporated
communities|

* Galbraith
* Gerled

Ghost town|

* Plum Creek

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* Iowa portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Iowa

Des Moines (capital)

Topics|

* Archaeology
* Area codes
* Attorney General
* Auditor of State
* Capitol
* Climate change
* Code
* Congressional districts
* Crime
* Delegations
* Representatives
* Senators
* Elections
* Caucuses
* Environment
* Flag
* Gambling
* Governor
* Gun laws
* History
* Historic Places
* Index
* Legislature
* House
* Senate
* LGBT rights
* Museums
* People
* Native Americans
* Political parties
* Democratic
* Libertarian
* Republican
* Seal
* Secretary of Agriculture
* Secretary of State
* State Parks
* Supreme Court
* Symbols
* Treasurer of State

Regions|

* Coteau des Prairies
* Des Moines metropolitan area
* Dissected Till Plains
* Driftless Area
* Great River Road
* Honey Lands
* Iowa Great Lakes
* Loess Hills
* Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area
* Quad Cities
* Siouxland

Largest cities|

* Ames
* Ankeny
* Bettendorf
* Burlington
* Cedar Falls
* Cedar Rapids
* Clinton
* Council Bluffs
* Davenport
* Des Moines
* Dubuque
* Fort Dodge
* Iowa City
* Marion
* Marshalltown
* Mason City
* Muscatine
* Ottumwa
* Sioux City
* Urbandale
* Waterloo
* West Des Moines

Counties|

* Adair
* Adams
* Allamakee
* Appanoose
* Audubon
* Benton
* Black Hawk
* Boone
* Bremer
* Buchanan
* Buena Vista
* Butler
* Calhoun
* Carroll
* Cass
* Cedar
* Cerro Gordo
* Cherokee
* Chickasaw
* Clarke
* Clay
* Clayton
* Clinton
* Crawford
* Dallas
* Davis
* Decatur
* Delaware
* Des Moines
* Dickinson
* Dubuque
* Emmet
* Fayette
* Floyd
* Franklin
* Fremont
* Greene
* Grundy
* Guthrie
* Hamilton
* Hancock
* Hardin
* Harrison
* Henry
* Howard
* Humboldt
* Ida
* Iowa
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jefferson
* Johnson
* Jones
* Keokuk
* Kossuth
* Lee
* Linn
* Louisa
* Lucas
* Lyon
* Madison
* Mahaska
* Marion
* Marshall
* Mills
* Mitchell
* Monona
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Muscatine
* O'Brien
* Osceola
* Page
* Palo Alto
* Plymouth
* Pocahontas
* Polk
* Pottawattamie
* Poweshiek
* Ringgold
* Sac
* Scott
* Shelby
* Sioux
* Story
* Tama
* Taylor
* Union
* Van Buren
* Wapello
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* Webster
* Winnebago
* Winneshiek
* Woodbury
* Worth
* Wright

Iowa portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* NARA
* Yale LUX

43°12′18″N 94°12′20″W﻿ / ﻿43.20500°N 94.20556°W﻿ / 43.20500; -94.20556
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template