Gainesville is a city in

Ozark County Ozark County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,553. The largest city and county seat is Gainesville. The county was organized as Ozark County, named after th ...

Missouri Missouri 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 is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States. The population was 745 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Ozark County.

History

Gainesville was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1841, taking its name from

Gainesville, Georgia The city of Gainesville is the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 42,296. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it is often called the "Poultry Capital of t ...

, the native home of a large share of the early settlers. Gainesville was designated county seat of Ozark County in 1857. A post office called Gainesville has been in operation since 1860.

Geography

Gainesville is located at the intersection of

U.S. Route 160 U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a 1,465 mile (2,358 km) long east–west United States highway in the Midwestern and Western United States. The western terminus of the route is at US 89 five miles (8 km) west of Tuba City, Arizo ...

and

Missouri Route 5 Missouri Route 5 is the longest state highway in Missouri and the only Missouri state highway to traverse the entire state. It is part of a three state, 650 mile highway 5. To the north, it continues into Iowa as Iowa Highway 5 and to the south ...

in the Lick Creek valley.''Gainesville, MO,'' 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrnagle, USGS, 1968 (1981 rev.) The southern terminus of Route 181 is at U.S Route 160, on the east side of town. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 773 people, 356 households, and 204 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 406 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.51%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.13%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.42% Native American, 0.39% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.55% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.68% of the population. There were 356 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% 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

of 2000, there were 632 people, 294 households, and 176 families living in the city. The

was 239.3 inhabitants per square mile (92.4/km²). There were 339 housing units at an average density of 128.3 per square mile (49.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.73%

, 0.16%

, 0.47% Native American, and 0.63% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.90% of the population. There were 294 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were

living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,083, and the median income for a family was $32,019. Males had a median income of $22,188 versus $16,597 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $14,566. About 12.8% of families and 18.4% 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 t ...

, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education is provided by the Gainesville R-5 School District. The 61-acre campus includes the high school built in 1962, the junior high wing added in 1971, and the new elementary school completed in 1995. The school district covers 339 square miles and serves several rural communities including Thornfield, Wasola, Tecumseh, and Pontiac. The Gainesville R-V School District is "fully accredited" and has A+ designation. Gainesville High School is unranked by ''U.S. News & World Report'' and has a graduation rate below the state median.

References

External links

* Historic maps of Gainesville in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

{{authority control Cities in Ozark County, Missouri County seats in Missouri Cities in Missouri