Chelsea, Iowa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chelsea is a city in Tama County, Iowa, United States. The population was 287 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the Iowa River Valley and has suffered severe damage in several floods. There were some efforts to move the town, but few responded.

Chelsea, like many rural midwestern towns, is in decline. The few businesses left include a saloon and an oat processing facility. As of 2006, the city is awarding free residential lots to qualified people in a bid to attract residents.

[edit] Geography

Chelsea is located at 41°55′12″N, 92°23′40″W (41.919980, -92.394358)^GR1. Set in the floodplain of the Iowa River Valley, Chelsea is surrounded by hills that are partially-forested and relatively tall.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 287 people, 98 households, and 70 families residing in the city. The population density was 109.7/km² (283.6/mi²). There were 113 housing units at an average density of 43.2/km² (111.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.56% White, 0.35% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 22.30% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.36% of the population.

There were 98 households out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.52.

In the city the population was spread out with 35.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 112.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $36,750. Males had a median income of $28,854 versus $24,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,608. About 14.1% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 4.5% of those sixty five or over.