Mills County, Iowa

Mills County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,484.<ref name=cen2020>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Glenwood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county was formed in 1851 and named for Major Frederick Mills of Burlington, Iowa, who was killed at the Battle of Churubusco during the Mexican–American War.<ref>Mills CountyTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Mills County is included in the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The future county's first permanent settlement was Rushville, founded in 1846 by persecuted members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they were being driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois. This is not to be confused with the state's present-day Rushville in Jasper County. A nearby settlement, also founded by the Mormon settlers, was called Coonsville after Dr. Liberius Coons, one of the first arrivals. That settlement continued after the Mormons moved on; its name was changed to Glenwood in 1853.

In Glenwood, the first courthouse was a small frame building which served until 1857. It was replaced by a two-story building, which was enlarged in the 1900s and received a clock tower in 1910. In 1959 this building was replaced with the present building, dedicated on August 29, 1959.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.7%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• File:I-29.svg Interstate 29
• File:US 34.svg U.S. Highway 34
• File:US 59.svg U.S. Highway 59
• File:US 275.svg U.S. Highway 275

Adjacent counties

• Pottawattamie County, Iowa(north)
• Montgomery County, Iowa (east)
• Fremont County, Iowa (south)
• Cass County, Nebraska (southwest)
• Sarpy County, Nebraska (west)

Demographics

File:MillsCountyIowaPop2020.png

Population of Mills County from US census data

2020 census

File:MillsCountyIA2022PopPyr.png

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

The 2020 census recorded a population of 14,484 in the county, with a population density of Template:Pop density. 95.16% of the population reported being of one race. 90.05% were non-Hispanic White, 0.53% were Black, 3.18% were Hispanic, 0.21% were Native American, 0.33% were Asian, 0.07% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 5.63% were some other race or more than one race. There were 6,110 housing units, of which 5,512 were occupied.<ref name=cen2020/>

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,059 in the county, with a population density of Template:Pop density. There were 6,109 housing units, of which 5,605 were occupied.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 14,547 people, 5,324 households, and 3,939 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 97.97% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,324 households, out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,428, and the median income for a family was $49,592. Males had a median income of $31,721 versus $24,938 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,736. About 5.80% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.30% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

File:LoessHillsandMissouriRiverValley.jpg

The Loess Hills and Missouri River Valley south of Glenwood

Cities

• Emerson
• Glenwood
• Hastings
• Henderson
• Malvern
• Pacific Junction
• Silver City
• Tabor (partial)

Unincorporated communities

• Rushville

Census-designated place

• Mineola

Townships

• Anderson
• Center
• Deer Creek
• Glenwood
• Indian Creek
• Ingraham
• Lyons
• Oak
• Plattville
• Rawles
• St. Marys
• Silver Creek
• White Cloud

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Mills County.<ref name=cen2020/>

† county seat

Rank	City/town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† Glenwood	City	5,073
2	Malvern	City	1,046
3	Emerson	City	403
4	Silver City	City	245
5	Mineola	CDP	154
6	Hastings	City	152
7	Henderson	City	144
8	Pacific Junction	City	96
9	Tabor (mostly in Fremont County)	City	86 (1,014 total)

Law enforcement

The first Mills County Sheriff was W.W. Noyes<ref>History of Mills County Sheriff's Office Template:Webarchive</ref> who was appointed by the Iowa General Assembly on August 1, 1851. He was succeeded by James Hardy who served as the first elected sheriff of the county and assumed the office on August 31, 1851.

The current sheriff of Mills County is interim sheriff Joshua England. He and his 11 full-time deputies patrol approximately 447 square miles in the county. The Mills County Sheriff's Office provides police services under contract for all of the towns and cities and Mills County except for the City of Glenwood which has its own police department.Template:Citation needed

Politics

Mills County is one of the most consistently Republican counties in Iowa. It has backed the Republican in all but five elections in its history, its inaugural election in 1852 prior to the founding of the Republican Party, in 1912 when former Republican turned Progressive Theodore Roosevelt caused a split in the vote, allowing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to take the county with a sub-40% plurality, in the two landslide victories for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, and for Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide, who even then barely took Mills County by only 39 votes and less than 1%. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

Local government

Board of supervisors

The board of supervisors is elected according to Plan One of the 1984 Code of Iowa, Chapter 331.208. It is composed of three members elected at large. Vacancies in the board of supervisors are filled by appointment made by the county auditor, county recorder, and the clerk of district court.

Current board of supervisors

• Richard Crouch, board chair
  • Term expires 2026
• Carol Vinton, vice chair
  • Term expires 2024
• Lonnie Mayberry, board member
  • Term expires 2024

2024 election

There are two open seats on the Mills County Board of Supervisors that will be elected in the November 2024 General Election. Primary Vote Count<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Board of supervisors nominees

Name	Party affiliation	Primary votes
Jack A. Sayers	Republican	890
Lonnie Mayberry (Incumbent)	Republican	777
Bruce Wray	Democrat	30

County attorney

DeShawne Bird-Sell is the current Mills County, IA county attorney. Their term ends in 2026.

County auditor

Ami Petersen is the current Mills County, IA county auditor. Their term ends in 2024

2024 election

County auditor nominees

Name	Party affiliation	Primary votes
Amber Farnan	Republican	814

County recorder

Lu Anne Christiansen is the current Mills County, IA county reporter. Their term ends in 2026.

County sheriff

Josh England is the current Mills County, IA sheriff. Their term ends in 2024.

2024 election

County sheriff nominees

Name	Party affiliation	Primary votes
Greg Schultz	Republican	1,345

County treasurer

Jill Ford is the current Mills County, IA county treasurer. Their term ends in 2026.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Mills County, Iowa

External links

• Official Mills County Government website
• Mills County Conservation Board website
• Mills County Public Health website
• Official Twitter Page