Black Hawk County, Iowa

Black Hawk County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 131,144,<ref name=cen2020>Template:Cite web</ref> making it Iowa's fifth-most populous county. The county seat is Waterloo.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

Black Hawk County is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Black Hawk County was formed on February 17, 1853, from sections of Buchanan County. It was named after Black Hawk, a Sauk leader during the 1832 Black Hawk War.<ref>Black Hawk County Online Template:Webarchive</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Cedar River roughly divides the county in half from the northwest to the southeast corner. The land is mostly level since much of it is on the river's flood plain.

Major highways

• File:I-380.svg Interstate 380
• File:US 20.svg U.S. Highway 20
• File:US 63.svg U.S. Highway 63
• File:US 218.svg U.S. Highway 218
• File:Elongated circle 21.svg Iowa Highway 21
• File:Elongated circle 27.svg Iowa Highway 27
• File:Elongated circle 57.svg Iowa Highway 57
• File:Elongated circle 58.svg Iowa Highway 58
• File:Elongated circle 175.svg Iowa Highway 175
• File:Elongated circle 281.svg Iowa Highway 281

Transit

• Metropolitan Transit Authority of Black Hawk County
• List of intercity bus stops in Iowa

Adjacent counties

• Bremer County (north)
• Buchanan County (east)
• Benton County (southeast)
• Tama County (southwest)
• Grundy County (west)
• Butler County (northwest)
• Fayette County (northeast)

Demographics

File:BlackHawkCountyIowaPop2020.png

Population of Black Hawk County from US census data

2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 131,144 in the county, with a population density of Template:Pop density. 94.55% of the population reported being of one race. 73.49% were White, 10.43% were Black, 4.92% were Hispanic, 0.32% were Native American, 2.61% were Asian, 0.65% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 7.57% were some other race or more than one race. There were 58,559 housing units of which 54,223 were occupied.<ref name=cen2020/>

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 131,090 in the county, with a population density of Template:Pop density. There were 55,887 housing units, of which 52,470 were occupied.<ref name="USCB">Template:Cite web</ref>

File:BlackHawkCountyIA2022PopPyr.png

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

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 128,012 people, 49,683 households, and 31,946 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 51,759 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 88.42% White, 7.95% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. 1.84%.<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 49,683 households 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.20% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.70% were non-families. 27.10% of households were one person and 10.90% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.

Age spread: 23.10% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.

The median household income was $37,266 and the median family income was $47,398. Males had a median income of $33,138 versus $23,394 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,885. About 7.90% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Cedar Falls
• Dunkerton
• Elk Run Heights
• Evansdale
• Gilbertville
• Hudson
• Janesville
• Jesup
• La Porte City
• Raymond
• Waterloo

Census-designated place

• Washburn

Other unincorporated communities

• Blessing
• Dewar
• Eagle Center
• Finchford
• Glasgow
• Voorhies

Townships

Black Hawk County is divided into seventeen townships: Template:Div col

• Barclay
• Bennington
• Big Creek
• Black Hawk
• Cedar
• Cedar Falls
• Eagle
• East Waterloo
• Fox
• Lester
• Lincoln
• Mount Vernon
• Orange
• Poyner
• Spring Creek
• Union
• Washington

Population ranking

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

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† Waterloo	City	67,314
2	Cedar Falls	City	40,713
3	Evansdale	City	4,561
4	Hudson	City	2,546
5	Jesup (mostly in Buchanan County)	City	193 (2508 total)
6	La Porte City	City	2,284
7	Elk Run Heights	City	1,069
8	Janesville (mostly in Bremer County)	City	115 (1034 total)
9	Washburn	CDP	870
10	Dunkerton	City	842
11	Gilbertville	City	794
12	Raymond	City	759

Politics

Black Hawk County has been a Democratic stronghold in Iowa since the late 1980s. In presidential politics, it is one of the most Democratic counties in Iowa. As the state swung hard to the right in the 2010s and 2020s, Black Hawk County—as a major population center, in accordance with most other population centers nationwide—has remained staunchly Democratic. In 2016, however, Donald Trump became the first Republican since 1984 to hold the Democratic candidate's margin to under 10 percent, and in 2024 Trump came the closest to winning the county since 1984. 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:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Black Hawk County, Iowa
• Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the meat industry in the United States

External links

• Black Hawk County government's website