Newton, Iowa
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Image:Newtoniowacourthouse.jpg
Newton is the county seat of Jasper County, IowaTemplate:GR. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 15,579. It is the home of Maytag Corporation and of Maytag Dairy Farms.
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History
Newton was founded in 1850 and incorporated as a city in 1857. It has traditionally been a manufacturing community, much of its growth derived from the washing machine industry. Its most distinctive landmark, the Jasper County Courthouse, was built in 1911. Around 2004-2005, the town's manufacturing workforce was hurt by layoffs at the Maytag Corporation.
Geography
Newton is located at 41°41'55" North, 93°2'49" West (41.698591, -93.046860)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.6 km² (10.3 mi²), none of which is covered by water. Image:IAMap-doton-Newton.PNG
ZIP codes
All addresses within Newton fall under the 50208 ZIP code.
Streets and addresses
Newton is praised for its simple, logical street designations. The city is divided into four quadrants. 1st Avenue divides the north and south segments of Newton, and 1st Street divides the east and west segments. Roads labeled as avenues run east and west while roads labeled as streets run north and south.
A typical street name would appear "E 5th St S". The east or west label comes first, followed by the street, and then followed by the north or south label. This example indicates the street is in the southeast quadrant of Newton.
A typical avenue name would appear "N 5th Ave W". In the case of avenues, the north or south label comes first, followed by the avenue, and then followed by the east or west label. This example indicates the avenue is in the northwest quadrant of Newton.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 15,579 people, 6,713 households, and 4,269 families residing in the city. The population density was 586.3/km² (1,518.9/mi²). There were 7,162 housing units at an average density of 269.5/km² (698.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.55% White, 0.60% Asian, 0.39% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,713 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,345, and the median income for a family was $49,977. Males had a median income of $37,248 versus $22,631 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,552. 6.8% of the population and 4.8% of families were below the poverty line. 8.0% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government
Newton is administered by a mayor and a six-person city council.
Mayor
The mayor is elected to a term of two years. Newton's current mayor is Charles "Chaz" Allen, who began his first term in January 2004. His predecessor was David Aldridge, who served four terms from 1996-2004.
City council
The city council consists of one member elected from each of Newton's four wards and two members elected at-large. The council members are elected to terms of four years. Regular meetings of the city council are held on the first and third Mondays of each month.
Media
Radio stations
- KCOB 1280 AM / 95.9 FM
Connections
Smila, Ukraine is Newton's sister city.
Notable natives
- F.L. "Fritz" Maytag III, businessman and entrepreneur
- Emerson Hough, author
- Charles Murray, American policy writer and researcher, co-author "The Bell Curve"
Points of interest
- Jasper County Courthouse
- Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
- Uncle Nancy´s Coffee Shop
