Bel-Nor is a northwestern suburban city of St. Louis in St. Louis 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 1,499 as of the 2010 census. In April 2015, the residents of Bel-Nor voted to become a city.

Geography

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 village 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 1,499 people, 668 households, and 412 families living in the village. 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 702 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 48.7%

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 ...

, 46.4%

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 ...

, 2.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.3% 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 2.3% of the population. There were 668 households, of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age in the village was 47.4 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 36.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,598 people, 667 households, and 474 families living in the village. The

was 2,555.5 people per square mile (979.4 per km²). There were 689 housing units at an average density of 1,101.8 per square mile (422.3 per km²). The racial makeup of the village was 57.20%

, 39.61%

, 0.94% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. There were 667 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were

living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.81. In the village, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $57,857, and the median income for a family was $77,917. Males had a median income of $46,369 versus $32,625 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 village was $46,534. There were 0.3% of families and 1.0% of the population living 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 1.0% of under eighteens and 3.4% of those over 64.

Overview

Bel-Nor incorporated in November 1937 and uses a village form of government with five elected trustees. Bel-Nor provides police service, street maintenance and snow plowing. The Normandie Golf Club, which claims to be the oldest public

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, is adjacent to the city. It was created in 1901 as the Normandy Country Club. In 2006, village residents fought in court to stop a planned redevelopment of Normandie Golf Course into residential housing. The course is no longer being considered for such development an
will be renovated in late 2023

Police

The Bel-Nor Police Department (BNPD) is responsible for enforcing the Missouri Law and the Municipal Law for the City of Bel-Nor. It consists of a small number of trained officers that come with several years of combined law enforcement experience, and a fleet of two patrol SUV's as well as one patrol car. Bel-Nor officers are known for strict speed enforcement on Natural Bridge Road and are known to assist officers from surrounding agencies including the St. John Police Department, the Breckenridge Hills Police Department, the Woodson Terrace Police Department and the Normandy Police Department on several calls for service due to a mutual aid agreement made with said departments. Bel-Nor officers can also be seen regularly on the UMSL campus, as a section of this campus lies within Bel-Nor. The Bel-Nor Police Department is contracted with the Saint Louis County Police Department for dispatching services.

Education

It is in the Normandy Schools Collaborative school district. Bel-Nor School, a grade 1-5 school that first opened in the 1920s, is in Bel-Nor. The Normandy Kindergarten Center had a Bel-Nor postal address but was in Bel-Ridge. The comprehensive high school of the district is Normandy High School. Bel-Nor is also home to Incarnate Word Academy. A portion of the property of the

University of Missouri–St. Louis The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is a Public university, public research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Established in 1963, it is the newest of the four universities in the University of Missouri System. Located ...

extends into Bel-Nor.

Film

The film ''The Exorcist'' was based on an

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...

that happened within the village of Bel-Nor in 1949.

Notable people

This list may include persons born in the community, past residents, and current residents. * Mickey Carroll, dwarf actor who portrayed a munchkin in '' The Wizard of Oz'' *

Napheesa Collier Napheesa Collier ( ; born September 23, 1996), nicknamed "Phee", is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Collier is also a founder of the Unrivaled (basketball le ...

, UConn women's basketball player * Richard Eastham, buried at Oak Grove Cemetery, Bel-Nor *

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...

, buried at Lake Charles Cemetery, Bel-Nor * George A. Killenberg, Executive Editor of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat

References

{{authority control Cities in St. Louis County, Missouri Cities in Missouri