Lucas County, Iowa

Lucas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,634. The county seat is Chariton. The county was formed in 1846 and was named for Robert Lucas, a Governor of the Territory.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 434 sqmi, of which 431 sqmi is land and 3.8 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 34.svg|x20px]] U.S. Highway 34
 * [[Image:US 65.svg|x20px]] U.S. Highway 65
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 14.svg|x20px]] Iowa Highway 14

Adjacent counties

 * Warren County (northwest)
 * Marion County (northeast)
 * Monroe County (east)
 * Wayne County (south)
 * Clarke County (west)

2020 census
The 2020 census recorded a population of 8,634 in the county, with a population density of. 96.75% of the population reported being of one race. 92.76% were non-Hispanic White, 0.27% were Black, 2.29% were Hispanic, 0.08% were Native American, 0.34% were Asian, 0.00% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.26% were some other race or more than one race. There were 4,058 housing units, of which 3,608 were occupied.

2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 8,898 in the county, with a population density of. There were 4,238 housing units, of which 3,689 were occupied.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,422 people, 3,811 households, and 2,560 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 /mi2. There were 4,239 housing units at an average density of 10 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.44% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,811 households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,876, and the median income for a family was $38,352. Males had a median income of $31,243 versus $21,293 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,341. About 8.40% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.10% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.

Athletics

 * Lucas County is well known for its baseball program. As recently as 2009, Lucas County's Babe Ruth All-star teams have made it to, or past, the Iowa State Tournament. They have won 5 Babe Ruth State Titles, with the most recent coming in 2008. They have not, however, won any national titles.

Cities

 * Chariton
 * Derby
 * Lucas
 * Russell
 * Williamson

Townships

 * Benton
 * Cedar
 * English
 * Jackson
 * Liberty
 * Lincoln
 * Otter Creek
 * Pleasant
 * Union
 * Warren
 * Washington
 * Whitebreast

Unincorporated areas

 * Norwood

Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Lucas County.

† county seat

Notable people

 * T. J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions tight end 2019
 * John L. Lewis, labor union

Politics
Lucas county is a stronghold for the GOP. Republicans have won the county every year since 2000, with Donald Trump receiving a stellar 70% of the vote in 2020.