Ozark County, Missouri


Ozark County is a county in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,553. The largest city and county seat is Gainesville. The county was organized as Ozark County, named after the Ozark Mountains, on January 29, 1841. It was renamed Decatur County, after Commodore Stephen Decatur, from 1843 to 1845, after which the name Ozark County was restored.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Arkansas is located to the south of Ozark County.

Adjacent counties

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,553. The median age was 51.9 years, 18.8% of residents were under the age of 18, and 28.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.7 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.
RaceNum.Perc.
White 8,00093.5%
American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American] 190.22%
Native American 380.44%
Asian 140.16%
Pacific Islander 50.06%
Other/Mixed 3684.3%
Hispanic or Latino1091.27%

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,759 households in the county, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,025 housing units, of which 25.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.5% were owner-occupied and 19.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.8%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,542 people, 3,950 households, and 2,855 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 5,114 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.57% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Approximately 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Ozark County were 28.6% American, 15.9% German, 12.1% English, and 11.4% Irish.
There were 3,950 households, out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.10% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 28.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,508, and the median income for a family was $36,622. Males had a median income of $21,685 versus $17,312 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,302. About 16.10% of families and 21.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.80% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report, Ozark County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Ozark County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists, Churches of Christ, and Pentecostals.

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Ozark County, 73.0% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 8.3% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools

  • Thornfield R-I School District - Thornfield -
  • Lutie R-VI School District - Theodosia
  • *Lutie Elementary School
  • *Lutie High School
  • Gainesville R-V School District - Gainesville
  • *Gainesville Elementary School
  • *Gainesville High School
  • Dora R-III School District - Dora
  • *Dora Elementary School
  • *Dora High School
  • Bakersfield R-IV School District - Bakersfield
  • *Bakersfield Elementary School
  • *Bakersfield High School

    Public libraries

The county has a library in Gainesville, the Ozard County Library. It's compeltely run by volunteers, and open 5 days a week.

Politics

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Ozark County. Republicans hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.

State

All of Ozark County is a part of Missouri's 155th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is represented by Travis Smith.
All of Ozark County is a part of Missouri's 33rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Carla Eslinger.

Federal

Ozark County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith 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. 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.
YearRepublicanDemocraticThird Parties
2024 [Missouri gubernatorial election|2024]82.77% 3,88615.57% 7311.66% 78
202082.25% 3,96315.96% 7691.78% 86
201668.66% 3,07827.39% 1,2283.95% 177
201252.63% 2,33443.92% 1,9483.45% 153
200842.47% 1,96753.63% 2,4843.90% 181
200463.04% 2,94934.80% 1,6282.16% 101
200058.65% 2,50238.54% 1,6442.81% 120
199659.15% 2,37638.16% 1,5332.69% 108
199253.21% 2,22246.79% 1,9540.00% 0
198874.47% 2,72125.18% 9200.36% 13
198474.92% 2,74225.08% 9180.00% 0
198061.61% 2,28738.20% 1,4180.19% 7
197661.76% 1,88638.21% 1,1670.03% 1

Political culture

Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Ozark County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. George W. Bush carried Ozark County in 2000 and 2004 by convincing two-to-one margins. Like many other rural counties throughout Missouri, Ozark County favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. No Democratic presidential nominee has won Ozark County since 1860.
Like most rural areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in Ozark County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on Missouri [Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)|a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman]—it overwhelmingly passed Ozark County with 82.18 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. In 2006, Missourians voted on Missouri Constitutional [Amendment 2 (2006)|a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state]—it narrowly failed in Ozark County with 51.07 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 Ozark 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. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Ozark County with 76.94 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 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 Ozark County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former Governor Mike Huckabee received more votes, a total of 766, than any candidate from either party in Ozark County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities

City