The first settlement at Atkinson was made circa 1875. Atkinson was platted in 1880, when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Col. John Atkinson, an original owner of the town site.
Geography
Atkinson is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,245 people, 549 households, and 322 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 638 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 549 households, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couplesliving together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 46.1 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 24.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,244 people, 537 households, and 322 families living in the city. The population density was 932.8 people per square mile. There were 640 housing units at an average density of 479.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 98.95% White, 0.08% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.32% Asian, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. There were 537 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% 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 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $28,490, and the median income for a family was $36,094. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $17,656 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,085. About 10.0% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
