Mount Vernon, Iowa
County: Linn County
Population: 4,100 Educational Institutions: Cornell College is a private undergraduate liberal arts college with approximately 1,100 students. Economic/community development organizations: Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group |
Demographics & Industry
Mount Vernon has some pronounced demographic trends due to its small size. The population of the city is predominantly white and there is a large proportion of people aged 15 to 24, presumably because of the impact of Cornell College; the second largest demographic is people in their late 50s. Mount Vernon is an affluent community with many households making more than $60,000 per year. Assets Small size: Mount Vernon is a small community and many of its residents walk or bike to their destination unless they are traveling to a nearby community (Jennison, 2011). Community Development Group: Mount Vernon has an extremely capable community development group that coordinates community events, advertises the community and supports businesses. The group, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group (MVL-CDG) is funded primarily through the city on an annual budget of approximately $45,000 plus approximately $35,000 in annual private investment. The 2009-2010 Annual Report indicates that the CDG has already secured more than $5 million in investments and harnessed nearly 3,500 volunteer hours during a one year period (MVL-CDG, 2010). Volunteer labor force: Joe Jennison, Executive Director of the MVL-CDG, estimates the volunteer labor force he oversees to be around 350 people (Jennison, 2011). The community regularly advertises for volunteers for committees and events through its blog and has a volunteer portal where people can sign up to put their skills to use. Cornell College students are actively engaged in fundraising and staffing downtown events in all seasons. Advertising and marketing: The CDG offers marketing design guidelines so that anyone can reproduce the logo for Mount Vernon-Lisbon for business or event promotions. Additionally, the CDG manages a bustling website with information on all local events and all local businesses. Mount Vernon was recently selected by Budget Travel magazine as one of the “Coolest Small Towns in America.” Strategy Arts and culture: Mount Vernon exemplifies a community that is focused on art, artists and one-of-a-kind products. The community has several resident artists and it has generated a niche market for antiques and vintage goods. This summer, the 4th of July Antiques Extravaganza attracted 10,000 visitors to Mount Vernon, more than doubling the native population of the city (City Council of Mount Vernon, Iowa, 2011). As a certified local government (CLG), Mount Vernon has also established a historic preservation commission that oversees design guidelines and changes to existing historic structures. |
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