Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,771. The county seat is Jefferson. The county is named in honor of General Nathanael Greene.

History

Greene County was formed on January 15, 1851, and from 1854, self-governed. It was named after General Nathanael Greene, a hero in the Revolutionary War. The first European settler was Truman Davis. He settled on the Raccoon River.

The first courthouse was built in 1856 from wood. Previously, court was held in a log cabin southeast of Jefferson. The second courthouse, of red brick, was built in 1870. The present Greene County Courthouse used today was built in 1917.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

thumb|right|Soils of Greene County

Major highways

  • x20px U.S. Highway 30
  • x20px Iowa Highway 4
  • x20px Iowa Highway 25
  • x20px Iowa Highway 144

Adjacent counties

  • Calhoun County (northwest)
  • Webster County (northeast)
  • Boone County (east)
  • Dallas County (southeast)
  • Guthrie County (south)
  • Carroll County (west)

Demographics

thumb|right|Population of Greene County from US census data

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,771 and a population density of . There were 4,309 housing units, of which 3,802 were occupied; 11.8% of units were vacant, 76.4% of occupied units were owner-occupied, 23.6% were renter-occupied, and the homeowner and rental vacancy rates were 2.0% and 10.6%, respectively.

There were 3,802 households, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.5% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,336 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,546 housing units, of which 3,996 were occupied.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,366 people, 4,205 households, and 2,859 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 4,623 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.16% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 1.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,205 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,883, and the median income for a family was $41,230. Males had a median income of $29,076 versus $21,657 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,866. About 4.80% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.90% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

  • Churdan
  • Dana
  • Grand Junction
  • Jefferson
  • Paton
  • Ralston
  • Rippey
  • Scranton

Unincorporated communities

  • Adaza
  • Cooper
  • Farlin
  • Green Brier
  • Winkelmans

Townships

  • Bristol
  • Cedar
  • Dawson
  • Franklin
  • Grant
  • Greenbrier
  • Hardin
  • Highland
  • Jackson
  • Jefferson
  • Junction
  • Kendrick
  • Paton
  • Scranton
  • Washington
  • Willow

Population ranking

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

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Education

School districts include:

  • Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District
  • Glidden-Ralston Community School District
  • Greene County Community School District - Formed on July 1, 2014.
  • Panorama Community School District
  • Paton-Churdan Community School District
  • Perry Community School District
  • South Central Calhoun Community School District - Formed on July 1, 2014. - Merged into the Greene County district on July 1, 2014.