Decorah, IA

Decorah is located at 250km northeast of Des Moines. Decorah was settled by Norwegian pioneers, but it takes its name from an Indian chief who aided settlers during the Black Hawk War of 1832. The town's Norse heritage is celebrated at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. Housed in restored structures from the 18th and 19th centuries, it's a surprisingly large museum documenting the translation of Norwegian culture to the U.S.

Population (year 2000): 8,172. Estimated population in July 2005: 8,084 (-1.1% change)
Males: 3,673 (44.9%), Females: 4,499 (55.1%)

Winneshiek County

Zip code: 52101

Median resident age: 29.8 years
Median household income: $37,485 (year 2000)
Median house value: $96,000 (year 2000)

Races in Decorah:

Ancestries: German (38.1%), Norwegian (34.6%), Irish (10.5%), English (9.1%), Swedish (4.2%), Czech (3.9%).

Elevation: 900 feet

Land area: 6.4 square miles

For population 25 years and over in Decorah

• High school or higher: 84.7%
• Bachelor's degree or higher: 30.6%
• Graduate or professional degree: 11.6%
• Unemployed: 6.8%
• Mean travel time to work: 11.3 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Decorah city

• Never married: 43.3%
• Now married: 43.3%
• Separated: 0.4%
• Widowed: 8.1%
• Divorced: 4.9%

4.3% Foreign born (1.9% Asia, 0.8% Europe, 0.7% Latin America, 0.7% Africa).

Population change in the 1990s: +27 (+0.3%).