Avoca, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Avoca, Iowa
|
|
|---|---|
Downtown Avoca, Iowa
|
|
Location of Avoca, Iowa
|
|
 Avoca, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Avoca, Iowa
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Pottawattamie |
| Township | Knox |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.38 sq mi (6.17 km2) |
| • Land | 2.38 sq mi (6.17 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,155 ft (352 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,683 |
| • Density | 707.1/sq mi (272.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
51521
|
| Area code(s) | 712 |
| FIPS code | 19-03970 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394042 |
| Website | City of Avoca |
Avoca (Irish: Abhóca, meaning 'the great river') is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,683 at the 2020 census.
History
Avoca was founded in 1869 in connection with the construction of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad through the area. The city is named after a place mentioned in the Thomas Moore poem "The Meeting of the Waters," about the River Avoca in Ireland. Avoca quickly developed as a regional service center for the surrounding farms.
In 2005, Avoca opened a local pool.
The Pottawatomie County, Iowa county government maintains a second courthouse in Avoca to serve the northeastern portion of the county. Council Bluffs, which is the county seat is in the extreme southwestern part of this large county.
Geography
The city is situated within Iowa's Loess Hills and located between the West Nishnabotna River and its East Branch. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.13 square miles (5.52 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1900 | 1,627 | — |
| 1910 | 1,520 | −6.6% |
| 1920 | 1,482 | −2.5% |
| 1930 | 1,673 | +12.9% |
| 1940 | 1,598 | −4.5% |
| 1950 | 1,595 | −0.2% |
| 1960 | 1,540 | −3.4% |
| 1970 | 1,535 | −0.3% |
| 1980 | 1,650 | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 1,497 | −9.3% |
| 2000 | 1,610 | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 1,506 | −6.5% |
| 2020 | 1,683 | +11.8% |
| Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: |
||
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 1,506 people, 662 households, and 436 families living in the city. The population density was 707.0 inhabitants per square mile (273.0/km2). There were 711 housing units at an average density of 333.8 per square mile (128.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9%.
Of the 662 households 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.1% were non-families. 29.9% of households were one person and 13.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.78.
The median age was 43.2 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 29.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
Education
The community is served by the AHSTW Community School District. In 1957 Avoca combined with the city of Hancock to form the Avo-Ha Community School District. On July 1, 1996, the district merged into the A-H-S-T Community School District combining with nearby towns of Shelby and Tennant. In turn, the conglomerate merged into AHSTW on July 1, 2016 when the small town of Walnut joined. The school and towns are a great safe place to raise a family.
Notable people
- Richard Beymer (born 1938), the actor best known as Tony, the lead role in West Side Story
- Johnny Carson (1925-2005), the television comedian, lived in Avoca as a child until his family moved to Norfolk, Nebraska in 1936.
- Edwin T. Meredith (1876–1928), Secretary of Agriculture under president Woodrow Wilson
- Richard C. Turner (1927-1986), Iowa lawyer and politician, was born in Avoca.
See also
In Spanish: Avoca (Iowa) para niños
