Indianola was founded in 1849 as the county seat of Warren County. The town was located near the geographic center of the new county. The town's name was taken from a newspaper account of a Texas town of the same name. Indianola was incorporated in 1863.
Geography
Indianola is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land. The Summerset Trail's southern terminus at Indianola.
Demographics
In 2005, a special census was conducted that revised Indianola's population to 14,156.
Population
As of 2013, there were 15,108 people, 5,477 households, and 3,579 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 5,893 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 96.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. Of the 5,477 households 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.6% of households were one person and 13.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 34.1 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 15.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 22.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.
At the 2000 census there were 12,998 people, 4,748 households, and 3,261 families living in the city. The population density was 1,414.7 people per square mile. There were 4,981 housing units at an average density of 542.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97.92% White, 0.40% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85%. Of the 4,748 households 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 26.5% of households were one person and 12.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94. The age distribution was23.8% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median household income was $43,725 and the median family income was $52,238. Males had a median income of $36,945 versus $24,401 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,574. About 5.6% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Indianola has a municipal, Gigabit-capable, fiber optic network and entrepreneurial development programs that links STEM-related activities at its schools and Simpson College to the local tech economy.
