Forest City, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Forest City is a city in Hancock
and Winnebago
Counties in the U.S. state
of Iowa
, and the county seat
of Winnebago County. The population was 4,151 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 4,362 population in the 2000 census.
Forest City claims to be the smallest city in the United States with its own YMCA
, thanks to the benevolence of John K. and Luise V. Hanson.
in decimal form are 43.262077, -93.640302.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.8 km²), all land.
The racial makeup of the city in the 2010 census was 94.9% White American
, 1.6% African American
, 0.2% Native Americans in the United States
, 1.3% Asian American
, 0.0% Native Hawaiians
or Pacific Islander American
, 0.5% other races and 1.5% were from two or more races. Of those 3.0% were Hispanic and Latino Americans
.
of 2000, there were 4,362 people, 1,692 households, and 1,084 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,049.7 people per square mile (404.9/km²). There were 1,809 housing units at an average density of 435.3 per square mile (167.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.97% White, 0.57% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.
There were 1,692 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,031, and the median income for a family was $50,699. Males had a median income of $30,430 versus $21,883 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,285. About 4.7% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
, a manufacturer of motorhomes
founded by local resident John K. Hanson, is located in Forest City.
that provides 60% of the energy needs of elementary, middle, and high school.
Forest City is the home of Waldorf College
a private institution that was founded in 1903. Waldorf has a 27 acres campus and is a Lutheran-related residential college of liberal arts and sciences. Every student at Waldorf is issued a laptop computer for use during their college career.
located 2 miles south of the Forest City business district serves general aviation
in the area. The airport was activated in 1958 and
has two asphalt
paved runway
s, one is 5,796 by 100 feet (1,767 x 30 m) and the other is 2,708 by 60 feet (825 x 18 m).
Hancock County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 11,341 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,330 housing units, of which 4,741 were occupied.-2000 census:...
and Winnebago
Winnebago County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,866 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,194 housing units, of which 4,597 were occupied.-2000 census:...
Counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Winnebago County. The population was 4,151 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 4,362 population in the 2000 census.
Forest City claims to be the smallest city in the United States with its own YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, thanks to the benevolence of John K. and Luise V. Hanson.
Geography
Forest City's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 43.262077, -93.640302.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.8 km²), all land.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 4,151 in the city, with a population density of . There were 1,909 housing units, of which 1,686 were occupied.The racial makeup of the city in the 2010 census was 94.9% White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 1.6% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.2% Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.3% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.0% Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
or Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 0.5% other races and 1.5% were from two or more races. Of those 3.0% were Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
.
2000 census
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,362 people, 1,692 households, and 1,084 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,049.7 people per square mile (404.9/km²). There were 1,809 housing units at an average density of 435.3 per square mile (167.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.97% White, 0.57% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.
There were 1,692 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,031, and the median income for a family was $50,699. Males had a median income of $30,430 versus $21,883 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,285. About 4.7% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The headquarters of Winnebago IndustriesWinnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries Inc., , is a manufacturer of motor homes, a type of recreational vehicle or RV, in the United States. It is based in Forest City, Iowa.-Corporate history:...
, a manufacturer of motorhomes
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
founded by local resident John K. Hanson, is located in Forest City.
Education
The Forest City Community School District operates a wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
that provides 60% of the energy needs of elementary, middle, and high school.
Forest City is the home of Waldorf College
Waldorf College
Waldorf College, located in Forest City, Iowa, is a four-year liberal arts, for-profit college.Founded in 1903, the college was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America until 2009, when, due to financial problems, the college was sold to for-profit Mayes Education, owner of...
a private institution that was founded in 1903. Waldorf has a 27 acres campus and is a Lutheran-related residential college of liberal arts and sciences. Every student at Waldorf is issued a laptop computer for use during their college career.
Transportation
The Forest City Municipal AirportForest City Municipal Airport
Forest City Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Hancock County, Iowa, United States. It is located two nautical miles south of the central business district of Forest City, a city in Hancock County and Winnebago County. The airport is owned by the City of Forest City. It serves general...
located 2 miles south of the Forest City business district serves general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
in the area. The airport was activated in 1958 and
has two asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s, one is 5,796 by 100 feet (1,767 x 30 m) and the other is 2,708 by 60 feet (825 x 18 m).
Notable people
- Henry TeiganHenry TeiganHenry George Teigan was an American labor leader and editor who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota.-Background:...
(1881–1941) a labor leader, editor and a U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... - Lute BarnesLute BarnesLuther Owens Barnes is a former professional baseball second baseman and shortstop who played Major League Baseball for the New York Mets from -. Barnes attended college at Oregon State University. He was drafted by the Mets in the 21st round of the 1969 amateur draft.-External links:* - Lute...
(b. 1947) played Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... - Mike StensrudMike StensrudMichael Iver Stensrud is a former American football defensive lineman who played for five teams in eleven seasons in the National Football League. He wrestled for Lake Mills High School, winning the super heavy weight bracket in the state tournament...
(b. 1956) American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive lineman who played in the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
External links
- Official Forest City website
- City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Forest City