Cherokee, Iowa

Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHE : Cherokee, Iowa

Cherokee is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,369 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherokee County^{[Geographic references#6GR6]}. Cherokee is the home of the Sanford Museum and Planetarium which has exhibits and activities on a variety of subjects including: Archaeology, Art, Astronomy, Geology, History, Natural History, and Paleontology. Cherokee is the smallest town in the world to have its own symphony orchestra, the Cherokee Symphony. This 60-member orchestra has been referred to as "the best kept secret in Northwest Iowa". City events include the annual jazz festival in January, the Cherokee County Fair, and the Cherokee Rodeo. Cherokee is also the home of the Cherokee Mental Health Institute, under the Iowa Department of Human Services. It is referred to by many locals as simply "the MHI". The MHI provides services for both inpatient and outpatient care.

Contents

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Famous people
4 External links

Geography

Cherokee is located at [42°45′3″N, 95°33′2″W] (42.750818, -95.550472)^{[Geographic references#1GR1]}. It is situated near the Little Sioux River.

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 (0.31%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^{[Geographic references#2GR2]} of 2000, there were 5,369 people, 2,362 households, and 1,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 323.4/km² (837.8/mi²). There were 2,556 housing units at an average density of 154.0/km² (398.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.50% White, 0.54% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 2,362 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,240, and the median income for a family was $42,333. Males had a median income of $28,350 versus $21,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,846. About 5.0% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Famous people

Adam Timmerman, #62 for the St. Louis Rams, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, is from Cherokee, Iowa.

External links

Sanford Museum: http://mail.cherokee.k12.ia.us/~sanford/
Cherokee Chronicle Times: http://www.chronicletimes.com/
Cherokee Symphony: http://www.ncn.net/~lthorson/
Cherokee Mental Health Institute: http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/DHS2005/DHS_HOMEPAGE/mental_health/mental_facilities/cherokee.html

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