Harlan

• Official Name — Harlan, Iowa • Type — City • Image Map — Shelby_County_Iowa_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Harlan_Highlighted.svg • Map Size — 250px • Map Caption — Location of Harlan, Iowa • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — Iowa • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Shelby • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Km2 — 11.45 • Area Land Km2 — 11.45 • Area Water Km2 — 0.00 • Area Total Sq Mi — 4.42 • Area Land Sq Mi — 4.42 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.00 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 4893 • Population Density Km2 — 427.48 • Population Density Sq Mi — 1107.26 • Time Zone — Central (CST) • Utc Offset — -6 • Time Zone Dst — CDT • Utc Offset Dst — -5 • Elevation Ft — 1273 • Postal Code Type — ZIP codes • Postal Code — 51537, 51593 • Area Code — 712 • Custom Label Sec1 — FIPS code • Custom Data Sec1 — 19-34500 • Custom Label1 Sec1 — GNIS feature ID • Custom Data1 Sec1 — 468007 • Website — http: www.cityofharlan.com Harlan is a city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Iowa, along the West Nishnabotna River. The population was 4,893 at the time of the 2020 census.

Harlan was platted in 1858. It was named for one of Iowa's early U.S. Senators, James Harlan. Harlan was designated county seat in 1859. The town was incorporated on May 2, 1879. On April 26, 2024, a multiple-vortex EF3 tornado tracked west of Harlan during a major regional outbreak. Although ground-level damage assessments supported a maximum intensity rating of EF3 with 160 mi per hour winds, a mobile Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar unit scanning the storm near Harlan measured winds aloft reaching roughly 224 mi per hour: an intensity equivalent to an EF5 tornado. The storm severely damaged on rural farmsteads across Shelby County before finally dissipating.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.39 sqmi, all of it land.

As of the 2020 census, Harlan had a population of 4,893. The median age was 45.3 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 24.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.6 males age 18 and over. 96.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.7% lived in rural areas. • Illustration — The population of Harlan, Iowa from US census data There were 2,143 households and 1,275 families in the city. Of the households, 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.4% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.75. There were 2,348 housing units, of which 8.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%. The population density was 1,111.6 PD/sqmi, and the average housing unit density was 534.9 /sqmi. Racial composition as of the 2020 census • Race — Number — Percent • White — 4,447 — 90.9% • Black or African American — 40 — 0.8% • American Indian and Alaska Native — 25 — 0.5% • Asian — 43 — 0.9% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander — 4 — 0.1% • Some other race — 121 — 2.5% • Two or more races — 213 — 4.4% • Hispanic or Latino (of any race) — 225 — 4.6%

At the 2010 census there were 5,106 people, 2,222 households, and 1,341 families living in the city. The population density was 1163.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,410 housing units at an average density of 549.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.0% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9%. Of the 2,222 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.2% of households were one person and 17.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 43.8 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.

At the 2000 census there were 5,282 people, 2,204 households, and 1,498 families living in the city. The population density was 1,209.8 PD/sqmi. There were 2,306 housing units at an average density of 528.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.30% White, 0.08% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62%. Of the 2,204 households, 31.1% included children under the age of 18; 56.6% were married couples living together, 8.9% consisted of a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.9% of households were one person and 16.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35, and the average family size was 2.88. 25.1% are under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males. The median household income was $35,899 and the median family income was $45,888. Males had a median income of $31,365 versus $19,671 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,514. About 5.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

A major Harlan employer is CDS Global, the Des Moines-based fulfillment house owned by the Hearst media conglomerate. Since this company provides subscription services for hundreds of periodicals, it is common to see a Harlan P.O. box as a magazine's customer service address. The biggest occupations in Harlan in the year 2024 was sales and adjacent occupations with 309 workers, followed by management occupations with 219 workers. The biggest industry in 2024 was retail trade, followed by healthcare. The median wage for men in 2024 was $56,369, and $36,178 for women. The median household income in 2024 was $57,444 and the median property value was $154,500. The unemployed population was 2,161 and the poverty rate was 9.05%. The largest share of car owners, approximately 37.7%, owned two cars.

Public schools in Harlan are governed and operated by the Harlan Community School District. The school district also serves residents of Jacksonville, Corley, Defiance, Panama, Portsmouth, Earling, and Westphalia. As of November 2021, the district has a student enrollment of 1,450. The district's racial demographics are 91.4% White, 5.7% Hispanic, 0.8% African American, and 2% non-white of other minorities. The district operates four schools spread amongst two campuses, all in Harlan: • Harlan Primary School (K-2) • Harlan Intermediate School (3–5) • Harlan Community Middle School (6–8) • Harlan Community High School (9–12) Shelby County Catholic School is a private primary and elementary school in Harlan, Iowa. A department of St Michael's Catholic Church, it is the only private school in Harlan.

• Johnny Beauchamp, NASCAR driver with two career Cup Series wins • Mary Lincoln Beckwith, great-grandchild of Abraham Lincoln • Howard Webster Byers, Iowa Attorney General • Susan Christensen, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice • Billy Cundiff, NFL kicker • Zach Daeges, baseball outfielder • George Sabin Gibbs, United States Army General • Albert Hansen, college football coach • Kij Johnson, author • Greg Lansing, former Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball coach • Jerry L. Larson, Iowa Supreme Court Justice • Tiny Lund (1929–1975) NASCAR driver and 1963 winner of the Daytona 500 • Raymond Eugene Plummer, lawyer and judge • Lynn Reynolds, film director