Eminence is a city and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Shannon County,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, United States. The population was 515 at the 2020 census.

History

A post office called Eminence has been in operation since 1844. According to one account, Eminence was so named on account of its lofty elevation, however, this interpretation is disputed.

Geography

Eminence is located in the center of the

Ozark National Scenic Riverways The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a recreational unit of the National Park Service in the Ozarks of southern Missouri in the U.S. The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1964 to protect the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and it w ...

, Missouri's largest national park and the nation's first protected river system. Popular activities in the Eminence area include canoeing, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. Eminence maintains a small-town feel, but in the summer becomes a resort city with several locally owned restaurants, motels, bed & breakfasts, including America's largest trail riding establishment. 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.

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 600 people, 254 households, and 140 families living 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 334 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.17%

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 ...

, 1.83% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 2.83% 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 0.83% of the population. There were 254 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% 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, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.9% were non-families. 41.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the city was 41 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 548 people, 256 households, and 142 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 316 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.61%

, 0.91%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 2.55% Native American, and 4.93% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population. There were 256 households, of which 19.9% included children of 18 or fewer years, 44.5% comprised

living together, 7.8% included a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 41.8% of all households comprised a sole person, and 23.8% comprised a sole person of 65 or more years of age. The average household size was 2.09 people and the average family size was 2.85 people. In the city, the population comprised 19.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% aged from 18 to 24, 25.9% aged from 25 to 44, 22.3% aged from 45 to 64, and 24.8% of 65 or more years of age. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for an urban household was $17,422, and the median income for a city-dwelling family was $21,607. City-dwelling males had a median income of $20,250, versus $13,125 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 $10,696. Approximately 23.8% of families and 31.4% of the population as a whole were classified as living below the poverty line, including 41.7% of those aged 18 years or younger, and 21.7% of those aged 65 years or older.

Transportation

Eminence is accessed from Missouri Route 19 and Missouri Route 106.

Education

Eminence R-I School District operates one elementary school, one middle school, and Eminence High School. The town has its own lending library, the Eminence Public Library.

Notable people

* Thomas Dale Akers, former four-time Shuttle astronaut * Mitch Jayne, author of the novel (later a movie) ''Old Fish Hawk'' and bass player for The Dillards * Clair Kenamore (c. 1875 – 1935), foreign correspondent and editor * George Rufus Kenamore (1846 – 1928), merchant, politician, and civil servant

References

External links

*
Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Shannon County, Missouri County seats in Missouri Cities in Missouri