# Kossuth County, Iowa

Kossuth County (/kəˈsuːθ/) is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,828. The county seat is Algona.

## History

Kossuth County was founded on January 15, 1851. It was named after Lajos Kossuth, Regent-President of Hungary who went into exile to America following the war of independence of Hungary from the Habsburg Dynasty. The county was enlarged northward in 1857 by the inclusion of the former Bancroft County. Crocker County was another county created out of the same area of Kossuth County as Bancroft County but was reverted due to not being larger than 432 square miles (112,000 ha). Another attempt to create a new county called Larrabee County failed in 1914.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 974 square miles (2,520 km$^2$), of which 973 square miles (2,520 km$^2$) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km$^2$) (0.2%) is water. It is Iowa's largest county by area.

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 18
* U.S. Highway 169
* Iowa Highway 9
* Iowa Highway 15
* Iowa Highway 17

### Adjacent counties

* Martin County, Minnesota (north)
* Faribault County, Minnesota (north)
* Winnebago County (northeast)
* Hancock County (southeast)
* Humboldt County (south)
* Palo Alto County (southwest)
* Emmet County (northwest)

### National protected area

* Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge

## Demographics
### 2020 census

The 2020 census recorded a population of 14,828 in the county, with a population density of 15.2398/sq mi (5.88413/km$^2$). 96.53% of the population reported being of one race. There were 7,216 housing units, of which 6,438 were occupied.
Kossuth County Racial Composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (NH) | 13,758 | 92.8% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 71 | 0.47% |
| Native American (NH) | 9 | 0.06% |
| Asian (NH) | 71 | 0.47% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 3 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 313 | 2.11% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 603 | 4.1% |

### 2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of 15.9741/sq mi (6.16765/km$^2$). There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.

### 2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 17,163 people, 6,974 households, and 4,791 families in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (6.9 people/km$^2$). There were 7,605 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 98.76% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. 0.81%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 6,974 households, 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 5.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 28.70% of households were one person and 15.50% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.
The age distribution was 25.80% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 20.10% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median household income was $34,562 and the median family income was $41,159. Males had a median income of $30,191 versus $20,184 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,598. About 7.50% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

### Census-designated places

For use by the United States Census Bureau in population analysis, some of the rural population of Kossuth County has been grouped together as a Census-designated place.
* Irvington
* Sexton
* St. Benedict
* St. Joseph

### Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Kossuth County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
| 1 | † Algona | City | 5,487 |
| 2 | Bancroft | City | 699 |
| 3 | Swea City | City | 566 |
| 4 | Titonka | City | 511 |
| 5 | Whittemore | City | 497 |
| 6 | Burt | City | 418 |
| 7 | Wesley | City | 391 |
| 8 | Fenton | City | 271 |
| 9 | Lakota | City | 267 |
| 10 | Lu Verne (partially in Humboldt County) | City | 228 (258 total) |
| 11 | Lone Rock | City | 146 |
| 12 | Ledyard | City | 121 |
| 13 | St. Joseph | CDP | 51 |
| 14 | Sexton | CDP | 46 |
| 15 | Irvington | CDP | 36 |
| 16 | St. Benedict | CDP | 31 |
| 17 | West Bend (mostly in Palo Alto County) | City | 19 (791 total) |

## Communities
### Cities

* Algona (County seat)
* Bancroft
* Burt
* Fenton
* Lakota
* Ledyard
* Lone Rock
* Lu Verne
* Swea City
* Titonka
* Wesley
* West Bend
* Whittemore

### Villages and Hamlets

* German Valley

## Government
### Townships

* Buffalo
* Burt
* Cresco
* Eagle
* Fenton
* Garfield
* German
* Grant
* Greenwood
* Harrison
* Hebron
* Irvington
* Ledyard
* Lincoln
* Lotts Creek
* Lu Verne
* Plum Creek
* Portland
* Prairie
* Ramsey
* Riverdale
* Seneca
* Sherman
* Springfield
* Swea
* Union
* Wesley
* Whittemore

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Kossuth County, Iowa :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 5,983 | 71.25% | 2,284 | 27.20% | 130 | 1.55% |
| 2020 | 6,275 | 69.03% | 2,696 | 29.66% | 119 | 1.31% |
| 2016 | 5,653 | 65.68% | 2,543 | 29.55% | 411 | 4.78% |
| 2012 | 4,937 | 55.33% | 3,850 | 43.15% | 136 | 1.52% |
| 2008 | 4,329 | 47.57% | 4,625 | 50.82% | 146 | 1.60% |
| 2004 | 5,042 | 54.46% | 4,132 | 44.63% | 84 | 0.91% |
| 2000 | 4,612 | 51.95% | 3,960 | 44.60% | 306 | 3.45% |
| 1996 | 3,477 | 40.88% | 4,031 | 47.40% | 997 | 11.72% |
| 1992 | 3,464 | 38.24% | 3,660 | 40.40% | 1,935 | 21.36% |
| 1988 | 3,938 | 43.24% | 5,088 | 55.87% | 81 | 0.89% |
| 1984 | 4,872 | 49.64% | 4,838 | 49.30% | 104 | 1.06% |
| 1980 | 5,568 | 54.26% | 3,810 | 37.13% | 884 | 8.61% |
| 1976 | 4,653 | 46.32% | 5,190 | 51.66% | 203 | 2.02% |
| 1972 | 5,841 | 56.39% | 4,393 | 42.41% | 124 | 1.20% |
| 1968 | 5,350 | 53.03% | 4,392 | 43.53% | 347 | 3.44% |
| 1964 | 3,776 | 35.38% | 6,893 | 64.58% | 5 | 0.05% |
| 1960 | 6,278 | 51.95% | 5,806 | 48.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 6,680 | 54.74% | 5,514 | 45.18% | 10 | 0.08% |
| 1952 | 7,765 | 64.15% | 4,330 | 35.77% | 10 | 0.08% |
| 1948 | 4,186 | 40.43% | 6,039 | 58.33% | 128 | 1.24% |
| 1944 | 4,918 | 47.14% | 5,488 | 52.60% | 27 | 0.26% |
| 1940 | 5,639 | 46.35% | 6,502 | 53.45% | 24 | 0.20% |
| 1936 | 3,569 | 30.09% | 8,071 | 68.04% | 223 | 1.88% |
| 1932 | 3,075 | 30.30% | 6,925 | 68.24% | 148 | 1.46% |
| 1928 | 4,878 | 50.36% | 4,736 | 48.90% | 72 | 0.74% |
| 1924 | 3,806 | 43.51% | 1,369 | 15.65% | 3,572 | 40.84% |
| 1920 | 6,018 | 77.46% | 1,682 | 21.65% | 69 | 0.89% |
| 1916 | 2,647 | 59.63% | 1,748 | 39.38% | 44 | 0.99% |
| 1912 | 857 | 18.69% | 1,813 | 39.53% | 1,916 | 41.78% |
| 1908 | 2,612 | 58.28% | 1,826 | 40.74% | 44 | 0.98% |
| 1904 | 3,001 | 68.02% | 1,352 | 30.64% | 59 | 1.34% |
| 1900 | 3,122 | 63.06% | 1,777 | 35.89% | 52 | 1.05% |
| 1896 | 2,930 | 60.30% | 1,861 | 38.30% | 68 | 1.40% |

## Education

School districts include:
* Algona Community School District
* North Union Community School District
* North Iowa Community School District
* North Kossuth Community School District
* Twin Rivers Community School District
* West Bend-Mallard Community School District
Former school districts:
* Corwith-Wesley Community School District, dissolved on July 1, 2015.
* Lu Verne Community School District, consolidated into Algona CSD on July 1, 2023.
* Sentral Community School District, consolidated into North Union CSD on July 1, 2014.
* Titonka Consolidated School District, consolidated into Algona CSD on July 1, 2014.