Chokio ( ) is a city in Stevens County,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States. The population was 404 at the 2020 census.

History

Chokio is a name derived from a

Dakota language The Dakota language ( or ), also referred to as Dakhóta, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, commonly known in English as the Sioux. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lak ...

or Sioux word meaning "the middle".

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The name is derived from the native Lakota word for half-way, as it was a halfway stop on the

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

route between the towns of

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia * St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Man ...

and Graceville. Other accounts state that it was the halfway point on the old Wadsworth Trail, which ran between St. Cloud, MN and Ft Sisseton, SD.

Minnesota State Highway 28 Minnesota State Highway 28 (MN 28) is a state highway in west-central and central Minnesota, which travels from South Dakota Highway 10 at the South Dakota state line near Browns Valley and continues east to its intersection wi ...

serves as a main route in the community.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 400 people, 207 households, and 116 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 229 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 207 households, of which 15.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.0% were non-families. 41.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.56. The median age in the city was 55.4 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 34.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 443 people, 201 households, and 136 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 239 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.55%

, and 0.45% from two or more races. There were 201 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.69. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,107, and the median income for a family was $45,268. Males had a median income of $30,179 versus $18,125 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,891. About 4.4% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including none of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Stevens County, Minnesota Minnesota placenames of Native American origin