Wright County, Missouri
Wright County | |
---|---|
UTC−5 (CDT) | |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Wright County is a
As of the
History
Wright County is bordered by Laclede County on the north, Texas County on the east, Douglas County on the south, and Webster County on the west. It is in the part of the state considered Southwest Missouri. Formed from part of Pulaski County on January 29, 1841, Wright County was named in honor of Silas Wright, a prominent New York Democrat. The county seat of Hartville was named after pioneer settler Isaac Hart.[5] Wright County lost part of its land in 1845 to Texas County, in 1849 to Laclede, and in 1855 a big chunk to Webster.
It appears there were no Native American settlements early in the area, although the wandering Delawares, Shawnees, and Piankashaws did come through. Early
The county has been devastated several times by storms. A
A good-sized portion of the county is located in the Mark Twain National Forest. The Gasconade River and its tributaries flow through the county, as well allowing for great recreational opportunities.
Geography
According to the
Wright County lies within the
Adjacent counties
- Laclede County (north)
- Webster County (west)
- Douglas County (south)
- Texas County (east)
Major highways
National protected area
- Mark Twain National Forest (part)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 3,387 | — | |
1860 | 4,508 | 33.1% | |
1870 | 5,684 | 26.1% | |
1880 | 9,712 | 70.9% | |
1890 | 14,484 | 49.1% | |
1900 | 17,519 | 21.0% | |
1910 | 18,315 | 4.5% | |
1920 | 17,733 | −3.2% | |
1930 | 16,741 | −5.6% | |
1940 | 17,967 | 7.3% | |
1950 | 15,834 | −11.9% | |
1960 | 14,183 | −10.4% | |
1970 | 13,667 | −3.6% | |
1980 | 16,188 | 18.4% | |
1990 | 16,758 | 3.5% | |
2000 | 17,955 | 7.1% | |
2010 | 18,815 | 4.8% | |
2020 | 18,188 | −3.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010[12] |
As of the
There were 7,081 households, out of which 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,685, and the median income for a family was $37,139. Males had a median income of $24,876 versus $17,608 for females. The
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Wright County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Wright County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (49.92%), National Association of Free Will Baptists (19.84%), and Pentecostals (7.55%).
2020 Census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
16,654 | 91.57% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
111 | 0.6% |
Native American (NH)
|
73 | 0.4% |
Asian (NH)
|
48 | 0.26% |
Pacific Islander (NH)
|
5 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed (NH)
|
927 | 5.1% |
Latino
|
370 | 2% |
Education
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Wright County, 71.1% possesses a
Public schools
- Hartville R-II School District - Hartville
- Grovespring Elementary School - Grovespring - (K-06)
- Hartville Elementary School (PK-06)
- Hartville High School (07-12)
- Mansfield R-IV School District - Mansfield
- Wilder Elementary School (PK-05)
- Mansfield Jr. High School (06-08)
- Mansfield High School (09-12)
- Mountain Grove R-III School District - Mountain Grove
- Mountain Grove Elementary School (K-04)
- Mountain Grove Middle School (05-08)
- Mountain Grove High School (09-12)
- Norwood R-I School District - Norwood
- Norwood Elementary School (PK-04)
- Norwood Middle School (05-08)
- Norwood High School (09-12)
- Manes R-V School District - Manes
- Manes Elementary School (K-08)
Private schools
- Mountain Grove Christian Academy - Non-denominational Christian
- Liberty Faith Christian Academy - Non-denominational Christian
Alternative and vocational schools
- Ozark Mountain Technical Center - Mountain Grove - (09-12) - Vocational/Technical
- Ozark Regional Juvenile Detention Center - Mountain Grove - (05-12) - Juvenile Hall
- Skyview State School - Mountain Grove - (K-12) - A school for handicapped students and those with other special needs.
Public libraries
- Wright County Library[15]
Politics
Local
Wright County, Missouri | |||
---|---|---|---|
Elected countywide officials | |||
Assessor | Brenda Day | Republican | |
Circuit Clerk | Joe Chadwell | Republican | |
County Clerk | Nelda Masner | Republican | |
Collector | Cindy Cottengim | Republican | |
Commissioner (Presiding) | Zach Williams | Republican | |
Commissioner (District 1) | Tommy Gaddis | Republican | |
Commissioner (District 2) | Mike Sherman | Republican | |
Coroner | Ben Hurtt | Republican | |
Prosecuting Attorney | Jason W. MacPherson | Republican | |
Public Administrator | John T. Miller | Republican | |
Recorder | Kathy Garrison | Republican | |
Sheriff | Glenn Adler | Republican | |
Surveyor | W. Andrew Daniel | Republican | |
Treasurer | Naomi Gray | Republican |
The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Wright County. Republicans hold every elected position in the county.
State
All of Wright County is a part of the Missouri 141st District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently represented by Hannah Kelly (R-Mountain Grove).
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Hannah Kelly | 6,910 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Tony Dugger | 3,591 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Tony Dugger | 6,899 | 100.00% |
All of Wright County is a part of Missouri's 33rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by State Senator Mike Cunningham (R-Rogersville)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Mike Cunningham | 7,098 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Mike Cunningham | 6,834 | 100.00% |
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties
|
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 84.63% 7,343 | 13.61% 1,181 | 1.76% 153 |
2016
|
73.93% 5,993 | 23.40% 1,897 | 2.66% 216 |
2012
|
61.13% 4,866 | 36.16% 2,878 | 2.71% 216 |
2008
|
49.57% 4,198 | 47.53% 4,025 | 2.90% 245 |
2004
|
71.37% 5,955 | 27.33% 2,280 | 1.30% 109 |
2000 | 62.56% 4,872 | 35.73% 2,783 | 1.71% 133 |
1996 | 62.03% 4,310 | 35.13% 2,441 | 2.84% 197 |
1992 | 56.36% 4,280 | 43.64% 3,314 | 0.00% 0 |
1988 | 74.68% 4,789 | 24.92% 1,598 | 0.41% 26 |
1984 | 74.30% 4,928 | 25.70% 1,705 | 0.00% 0 |
1980 | 60.21% 4,035 | 39.67% 2,659 | 0.12% 8 |
1976 | 61.66% 3,780 | 38.29% 2,347 | 0.05% 3 |
Federal
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Blunt | 5,930 | 73.29% | +17.39 | |
Democratic | Jason Kander | 1,836 | 22.69% | -13.92 | |
Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 176 | 2.18% | -5.31 | |
Green
|
Johnathan McFarland | 60 | 0.74% | +0.74 | |
Constitution | Fred Ryman | 89 | 1.10% | +1.10 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Todd Akin | 4,402 | 55.90% | ||
Democratic | Claire McCaskill | 2,883 | 36.61% | ||
Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 590 | 7.49% |
Wright County is included in
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jason Smith | 6,594 | 83.19% | +5.05 | |
Democratic | Dave Cowell | 1,150 | 14.51% | -1.28 | |
Libertarian | Jonathan Shell | 182 | 2.30% | +0.00 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jason Smith | 3,157 | 78.14% | -2.27 | |
Democratic | Barbara Stocker | 638 | 15.79% | -1.18 | |
Libertarian | Rick Vandeven | 93 | 2.30% | +1.16 | |
Constitution | Doug Enyart | 56 | 1.39% | -0.09 | |
Independent
|
Terry Hampton | 96 | 2.38% | +2.38 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jason T. Smith | 1,412 | 80.41 | +1.34 | |
Democratic | Steve Hodges | 298 | 16.97 | -0.12 | |
Libertarian | Bill Slantz | 20 | 1.14 | -2.70 | |
Constitution | Doug Enyart | 26 | 1.48 | +1.48 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jo Ann Emerson | 6,172 | 79.07% | ||
Democratic | Jack Rushin | 1,334 | 17.09% | ||
Libertarian | Rick Vandeven | 300 | 3.84% |
Political culture
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 7,453 | 85.17% | 1,168 | 13.35% | 130 | 1.49% |
2016 | 6,707 | 82.61% | 1,170 | 14.41% | 242 | 2.98% |
2012 | 5,830 | 73.29% | 1,953 | 24.55% | 172 | 2.16% |
2008 | 5,784 | 67.94% | 2,557 | 30.03% | 173 | 2.03% |
2004 | 6,090 | 72.97% | 2,188 | 26.22% | 68 | 0.81% |
2000 | 5,391 | 68.75% | 2,250 | 28.70% | 200 | 2.55% |
1996 | 3,754 | 53.67% | 2,280 | 32.59% | 961 | 13.74% |
1992 | 3,427 | 44.60% | 2,814 | 36.62% | 1,443 | 18.78% |
1988 | 4,151 | 64.92% | 2,232 | 34.91% | 11 | 0.17% |
1984 | 4,687 | 70.38% | 1,973 | 29.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 4,451 | 66.27% | 2,182 | 32.49% | 83 | 1.24% |
1976 | 3,397 | 54.87% | 2,781 | 44.92% | 13 | 0.21% |
1972 | 4,350 | 76.08% | 1,368 | 23.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 3,576 | 66.22% | 1,337 | 24.76% | 487 | 9.02% |
1964 | 3,466 | 51.29% | 3,292 | 48.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 5,191 | 72.66% | 1,953 | 27.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 4,360 | 65.68% | 2,278 | 34.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 5,285 | 72.31% | 2,006 | 27.45% | 18 | 0.25% |
1948 | 3,542 | 58.47% | 2,505 | 41.35% | 11 | 0.18% |
1944 | 4,413 | 67.51% | 2,116 | 32.37% | 8 | 0.12% |
1940 | 5,096 | 64.98% | 2,727 | 34.77% | 20 | 0.26% |
1936 | 4,837 | 59.18% | 3,296 | 40.32% | 41 | 0.50% |
1932 | 3,023 | 43.51% | 3,862 | 55.58% | 63 | 0.91% |
1928 | 4,504 | 69.28% | 1,973 | 30.35% | 24 | 0.37% |
1924 | 3,105 | 55.04% | 2,303 | 40.83% | 233 | 4.13% |
1920 | 3,661 | 63.69% | 2,008 | 34.93% | 79 | 1.37% |
1916 | 2,176 | 56.29% | 1,593 | 41.21% | 97 | 2.51% |
1912 | 1,163 | 32.97% | 1,356 | 38.45% | 1,008 | 28.58% |
1908 | 2,149 | 58.21% | 1,469 | 39.79% | 74 | 2.00% |
1904 | 1,972 | 58.80% | 1,266 | 37.75% | 116 | 3.46% |
1900 | 1,703 | 52.18% | 1,500 | 45.96% | 61 | 1.87% |
1896 | 1,755 | 49.58% | 1,777 | 50.20% | 8 | 0.23% |
1892 | 1,454 | 50.17% | 786 | 27.12% | 658 | 22.71% |
1888 | 1,372 | 50.97% | 771 | 28.64% | 549 | 20.39% |
Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Wright County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. George W. Bush carried Wright County in 2000 and 2004 by more than two-to-one margins, and like many other rural counties throughout Missouri, Wright County strongly favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, and Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016. No Democratic presidential nominee has won Wright County in more than 80 years.
Like most rural areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in Wright County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally
Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
Former
Communities
Cities
- Hartville (county seat)
- Mansfield
- Mountain Grove (partly in Texas County)
- Norwood
Unincorporated communities
See also
References
- ^ "Wright County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1918). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 372.
- ^ Barrett, Joe (October 5, 2022). "At the Nation's Center, a Small and Shrinking Missouri Town". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Wright County Place Names, 1928–1945". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- The American Cyclopædia.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wright County, Missouri".
- ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Wright County Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Missouri Election Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
Further reading
- History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps, and Dent counties, Missouri (1889) full text
External links
- https://www.wrightcountymo.gov/
- Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Wright County Archived 2011-08-16 at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books