county profile

County tell the story of an increasingly diverse community that is adding to the lifeblood and culture of Iowa ’ s 86th largest county by area , at 431.7 square miles . By population , it ’ s the 20th largest .

It ’ s a community with deep agricultural roots as well as manufacturing and retail strengths in its county seat , Ottumwa .

The most recent information available at the website census . gov lists the county population in 2020 at 35,437 , a small decline of 296 residents from 10 years earlier . Ottumwa has the bulk of the county population , at 25,529 , an increase of 506 from a decade ago .

A comparison of statistics from 2010 and 2020 shows the changing diversity of the county . In 2010 , 92.9 percent of residents were listed as white ; in 2020 , white residents comprised 83.2 % percent of the population . Increases were seen in the African-American or Black population ( 1 percent in 2010 to 5 percent in 2020 ) and residents of Hispanic or Latino origin ( 8.2 percent in 2010 to 14.6 percent in 2020 ).

Manufacturing jobs top the list of employees in the Laborshed , with an estimated total of 16,114 , followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade , at 15,097 , and Healthcare and Social Services at 12,891 , according to the study .

The 2017 Census of Agriculture by the U . S . Department of Agriculture , the most recent year listed for the report , showed 715 farms in the county , with an average farm size of 279 acres . The market value of products sold was $ 78,060,000 , which ranked at 96 among the state ’ s 99 counties . Total farm production expenses were $ 70,790,000 . Top crops , according to acreage , were corn , at 58,267 acres , closely followed by soybeans , at 56,190 acres . Hogs and pigs led livestock inventory at 37,105 , followed by cattle and calves at 15,461 .

Water helps define Wapello County as the Des Moines River runs through it , passing Eddyville , Ottumwa and Eldon on its way to join the Mississippi River at Iowa ’ s southeastern tip . A dam at Ottumwa helps provide for the city ’ s water supply .

A slight increase was shown in the Asian population , from 0.9 percent in 2010 to 1.5 percent in 2020 , and in those who identified as “ other races ,” declined from 3.2 percent in 2010 to 2.2 percent in 2020 .

According to data from the Iowa Department of Education , the Ottumwa Community School District , the largest in the county , reported a diverse student diversity . Of 4,861 enrolled students , about 26 % identified as Hispanic .

While the median age of Wapello County residents ( 39.6 ) in 2020 is comparable to the state of Iowa as a whole ( 38.5 ), the county lags behind in median household income at $ 46,246 to the state ’ s $ 61,691 . Wapello County ’ s poverty rate , 14.9 percent , is also higher than that of the state , at 11.2 percent .

When viewed with a wider lens , though , as in the Ottumwa Laborshed Area study released in 2020 , the numbers paint a rosier picture . Data in the study is compiled and analyzed by Iowa Workforce Development .

According to the study , “ A Laborshed area is defined by its commuting pattern and illustrates which communities contribute to an employment center ’ s workforce and at what level . To determine the boundaries of a Laborshed area , local employers supply the residential ZIP codes of each of their employees .”

The study shows hourly wages by industry ranging from $ 10.39 in the wholesale and retail trade business to $ 16.25 in manufacturing to $ 21 in professional services .

Location

Wapello County is W Longitude 92.3814 , N Latitude 41.0149 The county seat is Ottumwa .

Distance between Ottumwa and :

Chicago Flight : 255 miles Drive : 309 miles

Des Moines Flight : 74 miles Drive : 87 miles

Minneapolis Flight : 278 miles Drive : 323 miles

Omaha Flight : 187 miles Drive : 225 miles

St . Louis Flight : 201 miles Drive : 261 miles

Highways

U . S . Highway 34 runs east and west through Wapello County . U . S . Highway 63 runs north and south through Wapello County .

The largest city in Wapello County is Ottumwa , population 25,529 ( 2020 Census ). Ottumwa is the 20 ^th -largest city in Iowa and the second-largest in southeast Iowa . Wapello County is the 14 ^th - smallest county by land area , the 19 ^th -largest by population with an estimated 35,437 ( 2020 Census ).

Land use Total area : 431.83 square miles Farm land : 68.3 percent Wapello County has 715 farms covering 199,424 acres ,

averaging 279 acres per farm . Surface water : 1 percent , primarily the Des Moines River Land ownership : 99 percent privately owned , one percent publicly owned , excluding waterways

Elevation At Ottumwa : 673 feet above sea level

4 The Source . 2022