Hooper got its start in the year 1871, following construction of the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad through the territory. It was named for Samuel Hooper, a US congressman from Massachusetts. The Chicago & North Western ended railroad service and abandoned the track in 1982, due to flood damage and declining freight traffic. In 1986, railroad service was revived by the newly formed Fremont & Elkhorn Valley Railroad, which took ownership of the abandoned C&NW track. However, a bridge north of Nickerson was deemed unsafe to cross in 2003; as a result, FEVR embargoed train service through Hooper.
Geography
Hooper is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the census of 2010, there were 830 people, 359 households, and 228 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 396 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 98.1% White, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 359 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couplesliving together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 45.2 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 24.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 827 people, 350 households, and 227 families living in the city. The population density was 1,302.2 people per square mile. There were 372 housing units at an average density of 585.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 99.27% White, 0.12% African American, 0.24% Asian, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population. There were 350 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.77. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $35,515, and the median income for a family was $42,500. Males had a median income of $31,850 versus $19,943 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,825. About 3.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Landmarks
Hooper is noted for a tower, with the town's name in letters, completed in 2010 as a road sign for the town. The tower was constructed alongside a new bypass on U.S. Route 275 that diverted the highway around the town and raised concerns that the town would be unnoticed by passing traffic.
