Houston is a city in Texas 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 2,079 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 ...

of Texas County.

History

Houston was founded in 1857 and was named after

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, Houston was sometimes defended by units of the 5th Missouri State Militia. The Arthur W. and Chloe B. Cole House, Houston High School, and Houston Ranger Station Historic District are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Geography

Houston is located in the Missouri Ozarks in central Texas County, at the intersection of

U.S. Route 63 U.S. Route 63 (US 63) is a , north–south United States Highway primarily in the Midwestern and Southern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at Interstate 20 (I-20) in Ruston, Louisiana; the northern terminus is at US ...

and

Missouri Route 17 Route 17 is a highway in central and southern Missouri. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 54 in Eugene, which is six miles (10 km) northeast of Eldon; its southern terminus is at the Arkansas state line where it continues into Arka ...

. Cabool is approximately 15 miles to the southwest and Licking about 12 miles to the northeast on route 63. 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 , all land. Houston is the second-largest city in Texas County, behind Cabool. The town is located south of Rolla.

Climate

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 2,081 people, 935 households, and 513 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 1,060 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.3%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% 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 1.2% of the population. There were 935 households, of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% 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, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.1% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 24.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.0% male and 56.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,992 people, 904 households, and 536 families living in the city. The

was 559.8 people per square mile (216.0/km²). There were 1,042 housing units at an average density of 292.8 per square mile (113.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.13%

, 0.20%

, 0.80% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population. There were 904 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were

living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.67. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,886, and the median income for a family was $28,798. Males had a median income of $26,371 versus $17,500 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 $14,977. About 20.6% of families and 26.2% 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 34.9% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Houston R-I School District operates one elementary school, one middle school, and Houston High School. Houston has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamen ...

, a branch of the Texas County Library.

References

External links

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

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

{{authority control Cities in Texas County, Missouri County seats in Missouri Cities in Missouri Populated places established in 1857 1857 establishments in Missouri Sam Houston