Black Jack is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, United States. The population was 6,929 at the 2010 census. A post office called Black Jack was established in 1872, and operated until 1906. The community was named for a grove of

blackjack oak ''Quercus marilandica'', the blackjack oak, is a small oak, one of the red oak group ''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''. It is native to the eastern and central United States. Description ''Quercus marilandica'' is a small deciduous tree growing to ...

trees near the original town site.

Geography

Black Jack is located at (38.790799, −90.261885). 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 6,929 people, 2,591 households, and 1,797 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 2,809 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.2%

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 ...

, 16.3%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population. There were 2,591 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% 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 ...

living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age in the city was 40.9 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.9% male and 55.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,792 people, 2,422 households, and 1,789 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,587 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 26.31%

, 71.32%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.35% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population. There were 2,422 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were

living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.20. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $51,806, and the median income for a family was $63,324. Males had a median income of $41,969 versus $30,930 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 $22,705. About 2.8% of families and 4.7% 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 ...

, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Family controversy

In May 2006, the Black Jack city government made a controversial decision to remove an unmarried couple and their children from their own home on the grounds that the couple was not related enough to each other to satisfy a municipal ordinance. For the purpose of obtaining an occupancy permit, Black Jack defined a family as: * An individual; or * Two or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption; or * A group of not more than three persons who need not be related by blood, marriage or adoption. Therefore, an unmarried couple with one child would qualify as a family, whereas an unmarried couple with multiple children would not. On August 10, 2006, the ACLU of Eastern Missouri filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming violation of

due process Due process of law is application by state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to the case so all legal rights that are owed to the person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual per ...

and

equal protection The Equal Protection Clause is part of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides "''nor shall any State ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal ...

, and violation of housing laws. On August 15 the Black Jack city council unanimously passed a resolution changing the definition of family to include an unmarried couple and their children.ACLU of Eastern Missouri

Complaint to city
(PDF), an
Petition to court
(PDF)

References

External links

City of Black Jack official website
{{authority control Cities in St. Louis County, Missouri Cities in Missouri