Licking is a city located in

Texas County, Missouri Texas County is a County (United States), county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,487. Its county seat is Houston, Missouri, Houston. The coun ...

, United States. The population was 3,124 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in Texas County.

Geography

Licking is located in north central Texas County in the

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

of southern Missouri. The city is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 63 and Missouri Route 32. 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 , of which is land and is water.

Climate

History

The community was named for a

mineral lick A mineral lick (also known as a salt lick) is a place where animals can go to lick essential mineral nutrients from a deposit of salts and other minerals. Mineral licks can be naturally occurring or artificial (such as blocks of salt that fa ...

near the original town site. An early variant name was "Buffalo Lick". Licking experienced growth after the South Central Correctional Center opened in June 2000, which doubled the population from the 2000 Census to the 2010 Census. Also, a small Amish community moved from

Berne, Indiana Berne (English: IPA for English, ɜːn is a city within Monroe Township, Adams County, Indiana, Monroe and Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana, Wabash townships, Adams County, Indiana, Adams County, Indiana, United States, located sout ...

to Licking starting in 2009.

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 3,124 people, 634 households, and 397 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 742 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.1%

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 ...

, 25.6%

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 ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.4% 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 2.2% of the population. There were 634 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% 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, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 35 years. 12.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 36.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 73.3% male and 26.7% female.

2000 census

The 2000

found that there were 1,471 people, 647 households, and 390 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 744 housing units at an average density of . The demographics of the city were 97.35%

, 1.70%

, 1.09% Native American, 0.07% Asian, and 0.34% from other races as stated by census. There were 647 households within the city. 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were

living together, single-mother households account for 13.6%, and 39.7% were non-families. Single-person households make up 37.1%. Citizens over the age of 65 years make up 23.5% of households. The average household size was 2.19, and the average family size was 2.85. Census found that 22.7% of the city population were children. Adult population represented: 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The average median age was 41 years. At the time of the 2000 census, Texas County was one of the poorer counties in the state. The median income for a household in the city was $17,576, and the median income for a family was $25,625. Males had a median income of $24,643 versus $17,153 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 $12,802. About 20.1% of families and 25.5% 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 33.4% of those under age 18 and 23.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Licking R-VIII School District operates one elementary school and Licking High School. Licking has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...

, a branch of the Texas County Library.

Notable natives and residents

* Miyoshi Umeki (1929–2007), the Oscar-winning Japanese-born actress, died in Licking, where she lived with her only child and his family.

References

{{authority control Cities in Texas County, Missouri Populated places established in 1826 1826 establishments in Missouri Cities in Missouri