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Jasper County, Illinois facts for kids

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Jasper County
Jasper County Courthouse in Newton
Jasper County Courthouse in Newton
Map of Illinois highlighting Jasper County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Illinois
Founded 1831
Named for William Jasper
Seat Newton
Largest city Newton
Area
 • Total 498 sq mi (1,290 km2)
 • Land 495 sq mi (1,280 km2)
 • Water 3.6 sq mi (9 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 9,698
 • Estimate 
(2018)
9,611
 • Density 19.474/sq mi (7.519/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 15th

Jasper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 9,698. Its county seat is Newton.

History

Jasper County was formed in 1831 out of Clay and Crawford Counties. It was named for Sgt. William Jasper, Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. In the defense of Fort Moultrie in 1776, when the staff of the American flag was shot away, Sgt. Jasper erected a temporary staff, and waved the flag at the British until a new staff was erected.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 498 square miles (1,290 km2), of which 495 square miles (1,280 km2) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2) (0.7%) is water.

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Newton, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.4
 
34
18
 
 
2.4
 
40
23
 
 
3.9
 
51
33
 
 
3.9
 
63
42
 
 
4.4
 
73
52
 
 
3.7
 
82
62
 
 
4.4
 
85
66
 
 
3.4
 
84
63
 
 
3.2
 
78
55
 
 
2.8
 
66
43
 
 
4
 
52
34
 
 
2.9
 
39
24
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Newton have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 112 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.38 inches (60 mm) in January to 4.39 inches (112 mm) in May.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 1,472
1850 3,220 118.8%
1860 8,364 159.8%
1870 11,234 34.3%
1880 14,515 29.2%
1890 18,188 25.3%
1900 20,160 10.8%
1910 18,157 −9.9%
1920 16,064 −11.5%
1930 12,809 −20.3%
1940 13,431 4.9%
1950 12,266 −8.7%
1960 11,346 −7.5%
1970 10,741 −5.3%
1980 11,318 5.4%
1990 10,609 −6.3%
2000 10,117 −4.6%
2010 9,698 −4.1%
2018 (est.) 9,611 −0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2013
USA Jasper County, Illinois age pyramid
2000 census age pyramid for Jasper County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 9,698 people, 3,940 households, and 2,800 families living in the county. The population density was 19.6 inhabitants per square mile (7.6/km2). There were 4,345 housing units at an average density of 8.8 per square mile (3.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.6% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 39.5% were German, 12.5% were American, 11.0% were Irish, and 9.1% were English.

Of the 3,940  households, 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.9% were non-families, and 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 42.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,546 and the median income for a family was $53,034. Males had a median income of $39,167 versus $24,856 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,467. About 6.3% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those aged 65 or over.

Communities

City

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Jasper County is divided into eleven townships:

  • Crooked Creek
  • Fox
  • Grandville
  • Grove
  • Hunt City
  • North Muddy
  • Sainte Marie
  • Smallwood
  • South Muddy
  • Wade
  • Willow Hill

Education

Jasper County is largely served by Jasper County Community Unit School District 1, which is based in its county seat, Newton. Five of the district's six schools are located in Jasper County. Saint Thomas Catholic School is a private elementary school, also in Newton.

Notable residents

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Jasper (Illinois) para niños

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