Independence, Missouri
Independence is a city mostly in and one of two county seats of Jackson County, Missouri, United States. It is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2020, it had a total population of 123,011, making it the fifth-most populous city in Missouri. A small part of the city extends into Clay County.
Independence is known as the "Queen City of the Trails" because it was a point of departure for the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails. It is the hometown of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, with the Truman Presidential Library and Museum, and the gravesites of Truman and First Lady Bess Truman. The city is sacred to the Latter Day Saint movement, as the home of Joseph Smith's 1831 Temple Lot, and the headquarters of several Mormon denominations.
History
Independence was originally inhabited by Missouri and Osage Native Americans. Followed by the Spanish and a brief French tenure, it became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals that they stopped in 1804 to pick plums, raspberries, and wild apples at a site that would later form part of the city.Named after the Declaration of Independence, Independence was founded on March 29, 1827, and quickly became an important frontier town. Independence was the farthest point westward on the Missouri River where the steamboats or other cargo vessels could travel, due to the convergence of the Kansas River with the Missouri River approximately six miles west of town, near the current Kansas-Missouri border. Independence immediately became a jumping-off point for the emerging fur trade, accommodating merchants and adventurers beginning the long trek westward on the Santa Fe Trail.
In 1831, members of the Latter Day Saint movement began moving to the Jackson County, Missouri area. Shortly thereafter, founder Joseph Smith declared a spot west of the Courthouse Square to be the place for his prophesied temple of the New Jerusalem, in expectation of the Second Coming of Christ. Tension grew with local Missourians until the Latter Day Saints were driven from the area in 1833, the beginning of a conflict which culminated in the 1838 Mormon War. Several branches of this movement gradually returned to the city beginning in 1867, with many making their headquarters there. These include the Community of Christ, the Church of Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ and the Restoration Branches.
Independence saw great prosperity from the late 1830s through the mid-1840s, while the business of outfitting pioneers boomed. Between 1848 and 1868, it was a hub of the California Trail. The Donner Party, an ill-fated group of wagon train emigrants whose westward journey along the trail ended in disaster, stopped in Independence. On March 8, 1849, the Missouri General Assembly granted a home-rule charter to the town and on July 18, 1849, William McCoy was elected as its first mayor. In the mid-19th century an Act of the United States Congress defined Independence as the start of the Oregon Trail.
Two important Civil War battles occurred at Independence: the first on August 11, 1862, when Confederate soldiers took control of the town, and the second in October 1864, which resulted in a Union victory. The war took its toll on Independence, and the town was never able to regain its previous prosperity, although a flurry of building activity took place soon after the war. The rise of nearby Kansas City, Missouri, also contributed to the town's relegation to a place of secondary prominence in Jackson County, though Independence has retained its position as county seat to the present day.
United States President Harry S. Truman grew up in Independence and, in 1922, was elected judge of the Court of Jackson County. Although he was defeated for reelection in 1924, he won back the office in 1926 and was reelected in 1930. Truman performed his duties diligently, and won personal acclaim for several popular public works projects, including an extensive series of fine roads for the growing use of automobiles, the building of a new County Court building in Independence, and a series of 12 Madonna of the Trail monuments to pioneer women dedicated across the country in 1928 and 1929. He would later return to the city after two terms as president. His wife, Bess, was born and raised in Independence, and both are buried there. The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum are both located in Independence, as is one of Truman's boyhood residences.
Geography
Independence is located on the south bank of the Missouri River, near the western edge of the state. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.Demographics
2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 123,011 people, 48,836 households, and 28,955 families in Independence. The population density was. There were 54,120 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 72.61% white, 8.68% black or African-American, 0.76% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.67% Pacific Islander, 5.52% from other races, and 10.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 12.2% of the population.Of the 48,836 households, 24.0% had children under the age of 18; 40.1% were married couples living together; 33.0% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 33.5% consisted of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4, and the average family size was 3.1.
21.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 89.4 males.
The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $50,797 and the median family income was $64,271. Males had a median income of $40,007 versus $26,762 for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $32,462. Approximately, 11.2% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those ages 65 or over.
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 102,040 | 96,086 | 85,754 | 90.07% | 82.24% | 69.71% |
| Black or African American alone | 2,874 | 6,265 | 10,345 | 2.54% | 5.36% | 8.41% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 647 | 601 | 609 | 0.57% | 0.51% | 0.50% |
| Asian alone | 783 | 1,114 | 1,444 | 0.69% | 0.95% | 1.17% |
| Pacific Islander alone | 508 | 771 | 796 | 0.45% | 0.66% | 0.65% |
| Some Other Race alone | 119 | 87 | 507 | 0.11% | 0.07% | 0.41% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial | 2,142 | 2,907 | 8,514 | 1.89% | 2.49% | 6.92% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,175 | 8,999 | 15,042 | 3.69% | 7.70% | 12.23% |
| Total | 113,288 | 116,830 | 123,011 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 116,830 people, 48,742 households, and 30,165 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 53,834 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was- 85.7% White,
- 5.6% African American,
- 0.6% Native American,
- 1.0% Asian,
- 0.7% Pacific Islander alone,
- 3.2% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races.
- Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.7% of the population.
- Non-Hispanic Whites were 82.2% of the population, down from 98.4% in 1970.
The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 113,288 people, 47,390 households, and 30,566 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 50,213 housing units at an average density of. Independence has a population of 111,806 in 1980 and 112,301 in 1990. The racial makeup of the city was 91.87% White, 2.59% African American, 0.70% Asian, 0.64% Native American, 0.46% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.69% of the population.There were 47,390 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,012, and the median income for a family was $45,876. Males had a median income of $34,138 versus $25,948 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,384. About 6.4% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.