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Jasper County, Iowa facts for kids

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Jasper County
Jasper County Courthouse in Newton
Jasper County Courthouse in Newton
Map of Iowa highlighting Jasper County
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Map of the United States highlighting Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Iowa
Founded 1846
Named for William Jasper
Seat Newton
Largest city Newton
Area
 • Total 733 sq mi (1,900 km2)
 • Land 730 sq mi (1,900 km2)
 • Water 2.5 sq mi (6 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 37,813
 • Density 51.59/sq mi (19.918/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Jasper County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,813. The county seat is Newton. The county was organized in 1846 and is named after Sergeant William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero.

Jasper County is part of the Des MoinesWest Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 733 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 730 square miles (1,900 km2) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) (0.3%) is water. The North and South Skunk River flow through the county. Bodies of water include Lake Mariposa and Rock Creek.

Major highways

  • I-80.svg Interstate 80
  • US 6.svg U.S. Highway 6
  • US 65.svg U.S. Highway 65
  • Elongated circle 14.svg Iowa Highway 14
  • Elongated circle 117.svg Iowa Highway 117
  • Elongated circle 163.svg Iowa Highway 163
  • Elongated circle 224.svg Iowa Highway 224
  • Elongated circle 330.svg Iowa Highway 330

Transit

  • List of intercity bus stops in Iowa

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 1,280
1860 9,883 672.1%
1870 22,116 123.8%
1880 25,963 17.4%
1890 24,943 −3.9%
1900 26,976 8.2%
1910 27,034 0.2%
1920 27,855 3.0%
1940 31,496
1950 32,305 2.6%
1960 35,282 9.2%
1970 35,425 0.4%
1980 36,425 2.8%
1990 34,795 −4.5%
2000 37,213 6.9%
2010 36,842 −1.0%
2020 37,813 2.6%
2023 (est.) 37,919 2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
JasperCountyIowaPop2020
Population of Jasper County from US census data

2020 census

JasperCountyIA2022PopPyr
2022 US Census population pyramid for Jasper County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 37,813 in the county, with a population density of 51.5449/sq mi (19.9016/km2). 96.04% of the population reported being of one race. There were 16,132 housing units, of which 14,994 were occupied.

Jasper County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 34,445 91.1%
Black or African American (NH) 683 1.8%
Native American (NH) 91 0.24%
Asian (NH) 215 0.57%
Pacific Islander (NH) 30 .08%
Other/Mixed (NH) 1,262 3.33%
Hispanic or Latino 1,087 3%

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 36,842 in the county, with a population density of 50.4692/sq mi (19.4863/km2). There were 16,181 housing units, of which 14,806 were occupied.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Buena Vista
  • Clear Creek
  • Des Moines
  • Elk Creek
  • Fairview
  • Hickory Grove
  • Independence
  • Kellogg
  • Lynn Grove
  • Malaka
  • Mariposa
  • Mound Prairie
  • Newton
  • Palo Alto
  • Poweshiek
  • Richland
  • Rock Creek
  • Sherman
  • Washington

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Jasper County.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 Newton City 15,760
2 Mitchellville (mostly in Polk County) City 2,485
3 Colfax City 2,255
4 Monroe City 1,967
5 Prairie City City 1,700
6 Baxter City 962
7 Sully City 881
8 Kellogg City 606
9 Lynnville City 380
10 Mingo City 302
11 Oakland Acres City 176
12 Lambs Grove City 174
13 Reasnor City 152
14 Valeria City 39

Notable people

  • John M. Haines, tenth Governor of Idaho; born in Jasper County.
  • Lyle Goodhue, chemist and inventor, born in Jasper County.
  • Sara Haines, American television host and journalist.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Jasper (Iowa) para niños

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