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Avoca, Iowa
Downtown Avoca, Iowa
Downtown Avoca, Iowa
Location of Avoca, Iowa
Location of Avoca, Iowa
Avoca, Iowa is located in Iowa
Avoca, Iowa
Avoca, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Avoca, Iowa is located in the United States
Avoca, 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
1,194 ft (364 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,683
 • Density 706.55/sq mi (272.75/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 0454290
Website City of Avoca

Avoca (Irish: Abhóca, meaning 'the great river') is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 20,000 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. It is named after Avoca in Ireland. It quickly developed as a regional service center for the surrounding farms.

Geography

Avoca is located at 41°29′N 95°20′W / 41.483°N 95.333°W / 41.483; -95.333 (41.4790, -95.3373). The city is sited 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 of it 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:
U.S. Decennial Census
AvocaIowaPopPlot
The population of Avoca, Iowa from US census data

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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Avoca (Iowa) para niños

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