Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city located in
Winneshiek County, Iowa. As of the
2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,172. It is, since
1862, the location of Luther College, a Christian college of the liberal arts operated by the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is the
county seat of
Winneshiek County6.
Geography
\nDecorah is located at 43°18'6" North, 91°47'25" West (43.301795, -91.790218)1.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.7
km² (6.4
mi²). 16.6 km² (6.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.47% water.
Demographics
\nAs of the census of
2000, there are 8,172 people, 2,819 households, and 1,561 families residing in the city. The
population density is 492.2/km² (1,275.9/mi²). There are 2,968 housing units at an average density of 178.8/km² (463.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.99% White, 1.13%
African American, 0.10%
Native American, 1.60%
Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.30% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 2,819 households out of which 22.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 6.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% are non-families. 37.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.13 and the average family size is 2.80.
In the city the population is spread out with 15.0% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 17.8% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 81.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $37,485, and the median income for a family is $49,668. Males have a median income of $33,362 versus $22,399 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,351. 8.0% of the population and 2.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.9% are under the age of 18 and 9.4% are 65 or older.