Ozark County, Missouri

Ozark County is a county in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,553.[1] The largest city and county seat is Gainesville.[2] The county was organized as Ozark County, named after the Ozark Mountains, on January 29, 1841. It was renamed Decatur County, after Commodore Stephen Decatur, from 1843 to 1845, after which the name Ozark County was restored.[3]

Not to be confused with Ozark, Missouri.

Ozark County
County
Ozark County Courthouse in Gainesville
Ozark County Courthouse in Gainesville
Map of Missouri highlighting Ozark County
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°39′N 92°26′W
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedJanuary 29, 1841
Named forOzark Mountains
SeatGainesville
Largest cityGainesville
Area
 • Total755 sq mi (1,960 km2)
 • Land745 sq mi (1,930 km2)
 • Water10 sq mi (30 km2)  1.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,553
 • Density11/sq mi (4.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.mogenweb.org/ozark/

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 755 square miles (1,960 km2), of which 745 square miles (1,930 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.4%) is water.[4] Arkansas is located to the south of Ozark County.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18502,294—
18602,4476.7%
18703,36337.4%
18805,61867.1%
18909,79574.4%
190012,14524.0%
191011,926−1.8%
192011,125−6.7%
19309,537−14.3%
194010,76612.9%
19508,856−17.7%
19606,744−23.8%
19706,226−7.7%
19807,96127.9%
19908,5988.0%
20009,54211.0%
20109,7231.9%
20208,553−12.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2015[9]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 9,542 people, 3,950 households, and 2,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km2). There were 5,114 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.57% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Approximately 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Ozark County were 28.6% American, 15.9% German, 12.1% English, and 11.4% Irish.

There were 3,950 households, out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.10% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 28.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,508, and the median income for a family was $36,622. Males had a median income of $21,685 versus $17,312 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,302. About 16.10% of families and 21.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.80% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Ozark County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Ozark County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (25.79%), Churches of Christ (24.83%), and Pentecostals (17.07%).

2020 Census
Ozark County Racial Composition[11]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 8,000 93.5%
Black or African American (NH) 19 0.22%
Native American (NH) 38 0.44%
Asian (NH) 14 0.16%
Pacific Islander (NH) 5 0.06%
Other/Mixed (NH) 368 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 109 1.27%

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Ozark County, 73.0% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 8.3% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools

Public libraries

Gainesville Library

Politics

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Ozark County. Republicans hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.

Ozark County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Jama Berry Republican
Circuit Clerk Jackie Smith Republican
County Clerk Brian Wise Republican
Collector Darla Sullivan Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Terry Newton Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Gary Collins Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Layne Nance Republican
Coroner Gene Britt Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Lee Pipkins Republican
Public Administrator Melinda Abraham Republican
Recorder Jackie Smith Republican
Sheriff Cass Martin Republican
Surveyor Matt Wade Republican
Treasurer Christy Thompson Republican

State

All of Ozark County is a part of Missouri's 155th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is represented by Travis Smith (R-Dora).[12]

Missouri House of Representatives — District 155 — Ozark County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lyle Rowland 3,799 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 155 — Ozark County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lyle Rowland 2,257 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 155 — Ozark County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lyle Rowland 3,591 100.00%

All of Ozark County is a part of Missouri's 33rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Carla Eslinger (R-Wasola).

Missouri Senate — District 33 — Ozark County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Cunningham 3,787 100.00%
Missouri Senate — District 33 — Ozark County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Cunningham 3,608 100.00%

Federal
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Ozark County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 3,085 69.02% +19.04
Democratic Jason Kander 1,113 24.90% -17.45
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 126 2.82% -4.85
Green Johnathan McFarland 70 1.56% +1.56
Constitution Fred Ryman 76 1.70% +1.70
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Ozark County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Akin 2,202 49.98%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 1,866 42.35%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 338 7.67%

Ozark County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith (R-Salem) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau). Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Ozark County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 3,478 80.11% +9.61
Democratic Dave Cowell 723 16.61% -0.85
Libertarian Jonathan Shell 143 3.28% +1.09
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Ozark County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 1,833 70.50% -1.54
Democratic Barbara Stocker 454 17.46% -2.04
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 57 2.19% -0.97
Constitution Doug Enyart 33 1.27% -4.03
Independent Terry Hampton 223 8.58% +8.58
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Special Election — Ozark County (2013)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 639 72.04% -3.05
Democratic Steve Hodges 173 19.50% -1.36
Libertarian Bill Slantz 28 3.16% -0.89
Constitution Doug Enyart 47 5.30% +5.30
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Ozark County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jo Ann Emerson 3,264% 75.09%
Democratic Jack Rushin 907 20.86%
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 176 4.05%
Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 82.25% 3,963 15.96% 769 1.78% 86
2016 68.66% 3,078 27.39% 1,228 3.95% 177
2012 52.63% 2,334 43.92% 1,948 3.45% 153
2008 42.47% 1,967 53.63% 2,484 3.90% 181
2004 63.04% 2,949 34.80% 1,628 2.16% 101
2000 58.65% 2,502 38.54% 1,644 2.81% 120
1996 59.15% 2,376 38.16% 1,533 2.69% 108
1992 53.21% 2,222 46.79% 1,954 0.00% 0
1988 74.47% 2,721 25.18% 920 0.36% 13
1984 74.92% 2,742 25.08% 918 0.00% 0
1980 61.61% 2,287 38.20% 1,418 0.19% 7
1976 61.76% 1,886 38.21% 1,167 0.03% 1

Political culture
United States presidential election results for Ozark County, Missouri[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 4,064 83.55% 752 15.46% 48 0.99%
2016 3,639 80.78% 724 16.07% 142 3.15%
2012 3,080 69.17% 1,261 28.32% 112 2.52%
2008 2,918 62.27% 1,661 35.45% 107 2.28%
2004 3,083 65.50% 1,561 33.16% 63 1.34%
2000 2,663 62.05% 1,432 33.36% 197 4.59%
1996 1,882 47.18% 1,445 36.22% 662 16.60%
1992 1,772 41.49% 1,581 37.02% 918 21.49%
1988 2,404 64.21% 1,329 35.50% 11 0.29%
1984 2,614 70.19% 1,110 29.81% 0 0.00%
1980 2,434 64.56% 1,242 32.94% 94 2.49%
1976 1,754 56.49% 1,341 43.19% 10 0.32%
1972 2,119 77.22% 625 22.78% 0 0.00%
1968 1,967 68.37% 606 21.06% 304 10.57%
1964 1,540 59.14% 1,064 40.86% 0 0.00%
1960 2,595 78.26% 721 21.74% 0 0.00%
1956 2,141 70.71% 887 29.29% 0 0.00%
1952 2,572 77.73% 734 22.18% 3 0.09%
1948 1,967 69.46% 859 30.33% 6 0.21%
1944 2,707 81.10% 628 18.81% 3 0.09%
1940 3,421 77.66% 965 21.91% 19 0.43%
1936 2,981 68.47% 1,359 31.21% 14 0.32%
1932 1,730 55.70% 1,358 43.72% 18 0.58%
1928 2,616 82.68% 529 16.72% 19 0.60%
1924 1,758 69.05% 688 27.02% 100 3.93%
1920 2,457 79.72% 569 18.46% 56 1.82%
1916 1,331 65.89% 654 32.38% 35 1.73%
1912 695 32.69% 575 27.05% 856 40.26%
1908 1,233 65.76% 594 31.68% 48 2.56%
1904 1,305 68.00% 556 28.97% 58 3.02%
1900 1,272 63.28% 695 34.58% 43 2.14%
1896 1,187 53.47% 1,025 46.17% 8 0.36%
1892 881 57.24% 387 25.15% 271 17.61%
1888 884 59.13% 434 29.03% 177 11.84%

Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Ozark County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. George W. Bush carried Ozark County in 2000 and 2004 by convincing two-to-one margins. Like many other rural counties throughout Missouri, Ozark County favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. No Democratic presidential nominee has won Ozark County in over 150 years.[14]

Like most rural areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in Ozark County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Ozark County with 82.18 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it narrowly failed in Ozark County with 51.07 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Ozark County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Ozark County with 76.94 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
Main articles: 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary and 2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary

In the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Ozark County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 766, than any candidate from either party in Ozark County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities

City

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

References
  1. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Disappearing Missouri Names". The Kansas City Star. March 19, 1911. p. 15. Retrieved August 15, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  9. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  11. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ozark County, Missouri".
  12. "Missouri House of Representatives District 155". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  14. Brandt, Maxwell; ‘A Few Lists of 2008 Election Results’

36.65°N 92.44°W / 36.65; -92.44

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