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Cooper County, Missouri
Cooper County MO Courthouse 20140920-pano1 crop
Cooper County Courthouse in Boonville
Map of Missouri highlighting Cooper County
Location in the state of Missouri
Map of the U.S
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded December 17, 1818
Named for Sarshell Cooper
Seat Boonville
Largest city Boonville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

569 sq mi (1,474 km²)
565 sq mi (1,463 km²)
4.4 sq mi (11 km²), 0.8
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

17,103
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website http://www.coopercountymo.gov/

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]

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • I-70 (MO) Interstate 70
  • US 40 U.S. Route 40
  • MO-5 Route 5
  • MO-41 Route 41
  • MO-87 Route 87
  • MO-98 Route 98
  • MO-135 Route 135
  • MO-179 Route 179

National protected area[]

  • Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 6,959
1830 6,904 −0.8%
1840 10,484 51.9%
1850 12,950 23.5%
1860 17,356 34.0%
1870 20,692 19.2%
1880 21,596 4.4%
1890 22,707 5.1%
1900 22,532 −0.8%
1910 20,311 −9.9%
1920 19,308 −4.9%
1930 19,522 1.1%
1940 18,075 −7.4%
1950 16,608 −8.1%
1960 15,448 −7.0%
1970 14,732 −4.6%
1980 14,643 −0.6%
1990 14,835 1.3%
2000 16,670 12.4%
2010 17,601 5.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[10]

As of the 2000 census,[11] there were 16,670 people, 5,932 households and 4,140 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 per square mile (11/km2). There were 6,676 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/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.

2020 Census[]

Cooper County Racial Composition[12]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 14,730 86.13%
Black or African American (NH) 920 5.4%
Native American (NH) 53 0.31%
Asian (NH) 67 0.4%
Pacific Islander (NH) 6 0.04%
Other/Mixed (NH) 1,005 6%
Hispanic or Latino 322 2%

Education[]

Public schools[]

Private schools[]

Public libraries[]

  • Boonville/Cooper Branch Library[13]

Politics[]

Local[]

The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Cooper County. Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county.

Cooper County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor James R. Lachner Republican
Circuit Clerk Nancy Fisher Republican
County Clerk Sarah Herman Republican
Collector Carol Nauman Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)
Eddie Brickner Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)
Paul Davis Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)
Ernie Walther Republican
Coroner James Hurt Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Douglas Abele Republican
Public Administrator Stephanie Young Republican
Recorder Nancy Fisher Republican
Sheriff Chris Class Republican
Surveyor Curtis Basinger Republican
Treasurer Stanley Serck Republican

State[]

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 74.58% 5,435 21.87% 1,594 3.54% 258
2016 61.89% 4,958 35.43% 2,838 2.68% 215
2012 51.29% 3,837 45.69% 3,418 3.02 226
2008 52.28% 4,170 45.99% 3,669 1.73% 138
2004 61.24% 4,593 37.68% 2,826 1.08% 81
2000 53.39% 3,641 44.18% 3,013 2.44% 166
1996 39.00% 2,576 57.70% 3,811 3.30% 218

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)[14]
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)[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Sara Walsh 619 81.55% {{{change}}}
Democratic Kari Chesney 140 18.45%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 50 — Cooper County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Caleb Jones 687 100.00% {{{change}}}
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)[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Caleb Rowden 5,707 78.92%
Democratic Judy Baker 1,524 21.08%
Missouri Senate — District 19 — Cooper County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Caleb Rowden 5,540 70.47% -1.90
Democratic Stephen Webber 2,321 29.53% +1.90
Missouri Senate — District 19 — Cooper County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kurt Schaefer 5,287 72.37%
Democratic Mary Wynne Still 2,019 27.63%

Federal[]

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Cooper County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 4,668 58.55% +11.46
Democratic Jason Kander 2,920 36.63% -8.32
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 239 3.00% -4.96
Green Johnathan McFarland 67 0.84% +0.84
Constitution Fred Ryman 78 0.98% +0.98
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Cooper County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Akin 3,494 47.09%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 3,335 44.95%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 591 7.96%

All of Cooper County is included in Missouri's 4th Congressional District and is currently represented by Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Cooper County (2020)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 5,434 75.39%
Democratic Linsey Simmons 1,504 20.87%
Libertarian Steven Koonse 270 3.75%
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Cooper County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 5,721 72.93% +1.26
Democratic Gordon Christensen 1,778 22.67% +1.40
Libertarian Mark Bliss 345 4.40% -2.66
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 4th Congressional District — Cooper County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 2,813 71.67% +7.68
Democratic Nate Irvin 835 21.27% -10.27
Libertarian Herschel Young 277 7.06% +3.40
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Cooper County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 4,689 63.99%
Democratic Teresa Hensley 2,311 31.54%
Libertarian Thomas Holbrook 268 3.66%
Constitution Greg Cowan 60 0.82%
United States presidential election results for Cooper County, Missouri[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 6,272 72.15% 2,249 25.87% 172 1.98%
2016 5,624 70.42% 1,932 24.19% 430 5.38%
2012 4,887 65.06% 2,474 32.94% 150 2.00%
2008 4,902 61.08% 2,996 37.33% 128 1.59%
2004 5,058 67.37% 2,400 31.97% 50 0.67%
2000 4,072 59.97% 2,567 37.81% 151 2.22%
1996 2,900 43.75% 2,753 41.53% 976 14.72%
1992 2,867 39.07% 2,709 36.91% 1,763 24.02%
1988 3,737 59.64% 2,510 40.06% 19 0.30%
1984 4,603 67.47% 2,219 32.53% 0 0.00%
1980 3,996 58.34% 2,687 39.23% 166 2.42%
1976 3,694 54.25% 3,087 45.34% 28 0.41%
1972 5,172 68.92% 2,332 31.08% 0 0.00%
1968 4,115 55.29% 2,798 37.59% 530 7.12%
1964 3,530 45.66% 4,201 54.34% 0 0.00%
1960 4,672 54.77% 3,858 45.23% 0 0.00%
1956 4,995 58.72% 3,511 41.28% 0 0.00%
1952 5,208 59.90% 3,475 39.97% 12 0.14%
1948 4,094 51.38% 3,865 48.51% 9 0.11%
1944 4,928 56.79% 3,729 42.98% 20 0.23%
1940 5,720 55.30% 4,606 44.53% 17 0.16%
1936 4,980 48.84% 5,188 50.88% 29 0.28%
1932 3,695 40.05% 5,493 59.54% 38 0.41%
1928 4,794 52.02% 4,413 47.88% 9 0.10%
1924 4,755 52.76% 4,070 45.16% 187 2.08%
1920 5,151 58.16% 3,657 41.29% 48 0.54%
1916 2,830 52.27% 2,537 46.86% 47 0.87%
1912 2,270 44.84% 2,444 48.28% 348 6.87%
1908 2,679 50.73% 2,555 48.38% 47 0.89%
1904 2,767 51.98% 2,485 46.68% 71 1.33%
1900 2,738 48.96% 2,756 49.28% 98 1.75%
1896 2,711 47.06% 3,028 52.56% 22 0.38%
1892 2,222 45.25% 2,484 50.59% 204 4.15%
1888 2,416 47.02% 2,685 52.26% 37 0.72%



Communities[]

Cities[]

  • Blackwater
  • Boonville (county seat)
  • Bunceton
  • Otterville
  • Pilot Grove
  • Prairie Home

Villages[]

  • Windsor Place
  • Wooldridge

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Bellair
  • Billingsville
  • Chouteau Springs
  • Clarks Fork
  • Clifton City
  • Harriston
  • Lamine
  • Lone Elm
  • New Lebanon
  • Overton
  • Pisgah
  • Pleasant Green
  • Speed

Townships[]

Cooper County is divided into 14 townships:

  • Blackwater
  • Boonville
  • Clark Fork
  • Clear Creek
  • Kelly
  • Lamine
  • Lebanon
  • North Moniteau
  • Otterville
  • Palestine
  • Pilot Grove
  • Prairie Home
  • Saline
  • South Moniteau

Notable person[]

  • Country music singer Sara Evans was born in Cooper County.

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Cooper County, Missouri

References[]

  1. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US29053. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. pp. 90. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ. 
  4. ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 280. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ. 
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt. 
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mo190090.txt. 
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  10. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29053.html. 
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  12. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cooper County, Missouri". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Cooper%20County,%20Missouri&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  13. ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Boonville/Cooper Branch Library". Libraries.org. https://librarytechnology.org/library/20238. 
  14. ^ https://www.livevoterturnout.com/coopermo/LiveResults/en/Index_2.html
  15. ^ https://www.livevoterturnout.com/coopermo/LiveResults/en/Index_2.html
  16. ^ https://www.livevoterturnout.com/coopermo/LiveResults/en/Index_2.html
  17. ^ https://www.livevoterturnout.com/coopermo/LiveResults/en/Index_2.html
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 38°51′N 92°49′W / 38.85, -92.81

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Cooper County, Missouri. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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