Stoddard County is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the southeastern portion of the
U.S. state of
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 ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 28,672.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Bloomfield.
The county was officially organized on January 2, 1835, and is named for
Amos Stoddard, the first American
commandant (an early term for "governor") of
Upper Louisiana
The Illinois Country ( ; ; ), also referred to as Upper Louisiana ( ; ), was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s that later fell under Spanish and British control before becoming what is now part of the Midwestern United States. Whi ...
.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water.
Adjacent counties
*
Bollinger County (north)
*
Cape Girardeau County (northeast)
*
Scott County (northeast)
*
New Madrid County (southeast)
*
Dunklin County (south)
*
Butler County (southwest)
*
Wayne County (northwest)
Major highways
*
Future Interstate 57
*
U.S. Route 60
*
Route 25
*
Route 51
*
Route 153
National protected area
*
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
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 2000, there 29,705 people, 12,064 households, and 8,480 families residing in the county. 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 13,221 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.34%
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 ...
, 0.91%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
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 ...
, 0.40%
Native American, 0.09%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.24% from
other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Approximately 0.78% of the population were
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. 38.4% were of
American, 15.4%
German, 12.4%
Irish and 8.5%
English ancestry.
There were 12,064 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% 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, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,120, and the median income for a family was $41,072. Males had a median income of $26,514 versus $17,778 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 county was $18,003. About 12.80% of families and 16.50% 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 20.20% of those under age 18 and 17.60% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Stoddard County is a part of the
Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Stoddard County who adhere to a religion are
Southern Baptists (41.4%),
Methodists (12.9%), and
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
(8.3%).
2020 Census
Politics
Local
The
Republican Party predominately controls politics at the local level in Stoddard County. Republicans hold ten of the elected positions in the county. In the 2016 election, Sheriff Carl Hefner, who originally ran as a Democrat, switched parties and ran as a Republican.
State
Stoddard County is divided among three legislative districts in the
Missouri House of Representatives.
*District 159 – Currently represented by Herman Morse (R-
Dexter) and consists of most of the county, including Advance, Bell City, Bloomfield, Dexter, Dudley, and Puxico.
*District 161 – Currently represented by Steve Hodges (D-
East Prairie) and consists of some of the southeastern portions of the county along the
New Madrid County border including Baker, Essex, and Penermon.
*District 163 – Currently represented by Kent Hampton (R-
Malden) and consists of the southwestern corner along the
Dunklin and
Butler county lines, including Bernie. Democratic incumbent Tom Todd was defeated by Republican challenger Kent Hampton in 2010.
All of Stoddard County is a part of Missouri's 25th District in the
Missouri Senate
The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...
and is currently represented by
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Rob Mayer (R-Dexter). In 2008, Mayer defeated Democrat M. Shane Stoelting 65.32%-34.68% in the district. The 25th Senatorial District consists of
Butler,
Dunklin,
New Madrid,
Pemiscot,
Ripley, Stoddard, and
Wayne counties.
Federal
Stoddard County is included in
Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by
Jason T. Smith (R-
Salem) in the
U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of
U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-
Cape Girardeau). Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.
Political culture
At the presidential level, Stoddard County generally tends to lean Republican.
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
carried Stoddard County over
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
by more than a two-to-one margin in
2008.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
also carried Stoddard County twice in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
over
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
and in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
over
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
when he received just under 70 percent of the vote.
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
did manage to carry Stoddard County in
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
but narrowly lost it in his reelection bid in
1996 to
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican Leader of th ...
.
Like most rural areas, voters in Stoddard County generally adhere to socially and culturally
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
principles which strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on
a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Stoddard County with 88.29 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
. In 2006, Missourians voted on
a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Stoddard County with 60.65 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve
embryonic stem cell research. Despite Stoddard County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing
populist causes like increasing the
minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...
. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Stoddard County with 72.02 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.
Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
In the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Stoddard County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.
Former
U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
(D-
New York) received more votes, a total of 2,225, than any candidate from either party in Stoddard County during the 2008 presidential primaries.
Education
School districts including sections of the county, no matter how slight, even if the relevant schools and/or administration buildings in another county:
*
Advance R-IV School District
*
Bell City R-II School District
*
Bernie R-XIII School District
*
Bloomfield R-XIV School District
*
Dexter R-XI School District
*
New Madrid County R-I School District
*
Puxico R-VIII School District
*
Richland R-I School District
*
Twin Rivers R-X School District
*
Zalma R-V School District
Public schools
*Advance R-IV School District -
Advance
**Advance Elementary School (K-06)
**Advance High School (07-12)
*Bell City R-II School District -
Bell City
**Bell City Elementary School (K-06)
**Bell City High School (07-12)
*Bernie R-XIII School District -
Bernie
**Bernie Elementary School (PK-06)
**Bernie High School (07-12)
*Bloomfield R-XIV School District -
Bloomfield
**Bloomfield Elementary School (PK-05)
**Bloomfield Middle School (06-08)
**Bloomfield High School (09-12)
**Bloomfield Juvenile Center (03-12)
*Dexter R-XI School District -
Dexter
**Southwest Elementary School (PK-02)
**Central Elementary School (03-05)
**T.S. Hill Middle School (06-08)
**Dexter High School (09-12)
*Puxico R-VIII School District -
Puxico
**Puxico Elementary School (PK-05)
**Puxico Jr. High School (06-08)
**Puxico High School (09-12)
**Mingo Technical High School (12)
*Richland R-I School District -
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
**Richland Elementary School (K-06)
**Richland High School (07-12)
Public libraries
*Advance Community Library
*Bernie Public Library
* Bloomfield Public Library
*Keller Public Library
* Puxico Public Library
Communities
Cities
*
Advance
*
Bell City
*
Bernie
*
Bloomfield (county seat)
*
Dexter
*
Dudley
Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...
*
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
*
Puxico
Villages
*
Baker
*
Penermon
Census-designated place
*
Grayridge
Unincorporated communities
*
Acorn Ridge
*
Aid
*
Aquilla
*
Ardeola
*
Asherville
*
Avert
*
Brownwood
*
Buffington
*
Bunker Hill
*
Charter Oak
*
Cobb
*
Curdton
*
Cyrus
Cyrus () is a Persian-language masculine given name. It is historically best known as the name of several List of monarchs of Iran, Persian kings, most notably including Cyrus the Great, who founded the Achaemenid Empire in 550 BC. It remains wid ...
*
Durnell
*
Frisco
*
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
*
Heagy
*
Hunterville
*
Idalia
*
Idlewild
*
Ives
*
Kinder
*
LaValle
*
Leora
*
Marco
*
Maulsby
*
Messler
*
Mingo
*
Painton
*
Powe
*
Pyletown
*
Redd
*
Shawan
*
Shreve
*
Stoddard
*
Swinton
*
Tillman
*
Toga
*
Toppertown
*
Zadock
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Stoddard County, Missouri
References
External links
Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Stoddard County from
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 ...
Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
{{coord, 36.86, -89.95, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990
1835 establishments in Missouri
Populated places established in 1835