Cooper County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,103.[1] Its county seat is Boonville.[2] The county was organized December 17, 1818, and named for Sarshell Cooper, a frontier settler who was killed by Native Americans near Arrow Rock in 1814.[3][4] It is a part of the Columbia, Missouri metropolitan area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 569 square miles (1,470 km2), of which 565 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km2) (0.8%) is water.[5]
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2015[10]
As of the 2000 census,[12] there were 16,670 people, 5,932 households and 4,140 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 inhabitants per square mile (12/km2). There were 6,676 housing units at an average density of 12 units per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.05% White, 8.96% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Approximately 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.1% were of German, 18.7% American, 8.1% English and 8.0% Irish ancestry.
There were 5,932 households, of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97.
Age distribution was 22.80% under the age of 18, 14.00% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.00 males.
The median household income was $35,313, and the median family income was $41,526. Males had a median income of $28,513 versus $20,965 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,648. About 8.30% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.
Cooper County is divided into three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, all of which elected Republicans, but one is currently vacant.
District 47 — Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport). Consists of areas east of the city of Boonville.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Cooper County (2020)[15]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Chuck Basye
224
81.16%
Democratic
Adrian Plank
52
18.84%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Cooper County (2016)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Chuck Basye
228
69.30%
+0.83
Democratic
Susan McClintic
101
30.70%
-0.83
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Cooper County (2014)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Chuck Basye
139
68.47%
+28.88
Democratic
John Wright
64
31.53%
-28.88
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Cooper County (2012)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
John Wright
156
39.59%
Republican
Mitch Richards
238
60.41%
District 48 — Tim Taylor (politician) (R-Bunceton). Consists of the communities of Blackwater, Boonville, Bunceton, Otterville, and Pilot Grove.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Cooper County (2020)[15]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Tim Taylor (politician)
4,056
65.39%
Democratic
William (Bill) Betteridge
2,147
34.61%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Cooper County (2016)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Dave Muntzel
5,433
82.34%
-17.66
Independent
Debra Dilks
1,165
17.66%
+17.66
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Cooper County (2014)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Dave Muntzel
2,980
100.00%
+32.00
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Cooper County (2012)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Dave Muntzel
4,278
68.00%
Democratic
Ron Monnig
2,013
32.00%
District 50 — Sara Walsh. (R-Ashland). Consists of the community of Prairie Home and much of the rest of the eastern portion of the county.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 50 — Cooper County (2020)[15]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Sara Walsh
619
81.55%
Democratic
Kari Chesney
140
18.45%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 50 — Cooper County (2016)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Caleb Jones
687
100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 50 — Cooper County (2014)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Caleb Jones
336
100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 50 — Cooper County (2012)
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Caleb Jones
514
100.00%
All of Cooper County is a part of Missouri's 19th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia).
Missouri Senate — District 19 — Cooper County (2020)[15]
^"Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 90.
^Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 280.
^"2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
^"U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
^"Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
^"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 14, 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 14, 2014.
^"State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
^"Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 29, 2019.
^"P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cooper County, Missouri".
^Breeding, Marshall. "Boonville/Cooper Branch Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
^ abcd"Election Night Results". www.livevoterturnout.com.
^Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
External links
Cooper County Information from MO-River.Net
Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Cooper County Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books