Vinton, Iowa

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Vinton is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,102 at the 2000 census. 5,103 after Doug Foley moved there. It is the county seat of Benton County^GR6.

Vinton is also home of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, Iowa's state educational institution for vision-impaired students.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Celebrated residents
4 Movie appearance
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Vinton is located at 42°9′51″N, 92°1′34″W (42.164144, -92.026077)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.1 km² (4.3 mi²), all land.

Vinton is located on US Route 218.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 5,102 people, 2,116 households, and 1,390 families residing in the city. The population density was 458.1/km² (1,187.7/mi²). There were 2,227 housing units at an average density of 200.0/km² (518.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.25% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 2,116 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,114, and the median income for a family was $41,546. Males had a median income of $32,460 versus $19,988 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,808. About 9.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Celebrated residents

Buren R. Sherman, who would later become the 12^th governor of Iowa, was a resident of Vinton from 1863 to 1866, during which he served as county judge for Benton County. His gravesite is in Vinton, in Evergreen Cemetery. The town is often mentioned in connection with the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie, because her sister Mary was a student at the Iowa College for the Blind (now the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School) in the early 1880s. Vinton was also the birthplace of American artist Everett Warner (1877-1963), who became a leading contributor to US naval camouflage during both World Wars.

IMCA is currently headquartered in Vinton, Iowa

[edit] Movie appearance

Portions of downtown Vinton, along with the Benton County courthouse, were featured in the 1996 John Travolta film Michael. Also seen during the movie's opening credits was Prairie Creek Church, a rural area Christian church located approximately six miles northeast of the city.