Purdy is a city in Purdy Township, Barry 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, on the foothills of 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 ...

, eight miles south of Monett and twelve miles north of Cassville along Highway 37. The population was 1,028 at the 2020 census.

History

Purdy 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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1880. The city was named for George A. Purdy, a railroad promoter. A post office called Purdy has been in operation since 1880. US Department of the Interior Original Surveys and USGS Topographical map showing the Butterfield Overland Mail Route

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 city 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 1,098 people, 399 households, and 271 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 452 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.9%

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 ...

, 1.3% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 11.8% from other races, and 3.5% 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 people of any race were 26.0% of the population. There were 399 households, of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% 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, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.40. The median age in the city was 34.1 years. 31.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,103 people, 432 households, and 288 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 480 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.50%

, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.73% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 14.69% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 18.04% of the population. There were 432 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.20. In the city the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,318, and the median income for a family was $28,636. Males had a median income of $21,731 versus $16,806 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 $10,662. About 14.6% of families and 20.2% 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 25.8% of those under age 18 and 24.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Purdy R-II School District operates one elementary school, one middle school, and Purdy High School. Dancing is not allowed in the Purdy school without permission from the school board. The authority of the school board was upheld by the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

in 1990 when it refused to hear a challenge by a group of students and parents.

Notable People

Phil Mulkey Philip Roy Mulkey (January 7, 1933 – September 17, 2022) was an American track and field athlete, primarily known for the multi-event decathlon. Mulkey was the second place American behind Rafer Johnson at the 1960 USA Outdoor Track and Fiel ...

- track and field athlete

References

External links

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

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

Purdy Page
at the Barry County Museum {{authority control Cities in Barry County, Missouri Cities in Missouri Populated places established in 1880 1880 establishments in Missouri