Platte County, Missouri


Platte County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,718. Its county seat is Platte City. The county was organized December 31, 1838, from the Platte Purchase, named for the Platte River. The Kansas City International Airport is located in the county, approximately one mile west of Interstate 29 between mile markers 12 and 15. The land for the airport was originally in an unincorporated portion of Platte County before being annexed by Platte City, and eventually Kansas City.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county's southwestern border with Kansas is formed by the Missouri River.

Adjacent counties

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 106,718. The median age was 38.3 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 78.3% White, 7.8% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% Asian, 0.7% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.0% from some other race, and 8.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.7% of the population.
86.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 13.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 42,452 households in the county, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 45,307 housing units, of which 6.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.0% were owner-occupied and 35.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 73,781 people, 29,278 households, and 20,231 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 30,902 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 91.45% White, 3.49% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.48% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.05% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Approximately 3.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.4% were of German, 12.5% Irish, 12.2% American and 11.4% English ancestry.
There were 29,278 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,849, and the median income for a family was $65,236. Males had a median income of $44,310 versus $31,005 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,356. About 3.30% of families and 4.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.70% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.

Education

School districts

School districts include:
  • East Buchanan County C-1 School District
  • North Kansas City 74 School District
  • North Platte County R-I School District
  • Park Hill School District
  • Platte County R-III School District
  • Smithville R-II School District
  • West Platte County R-II School District

    Public schools

  • North Platte R-I School District – Dearborn
  • *North Platte Elementary School
  • *North Platte Intermediate School
  • *North Platte Junior High School
  • *North Platte High School
  • Park Hill School District – Kansas City
  • *Russell Jones Education Center –
  • *Hopewell Elementary School
  • *Alfred L. Renner Elementary School
  • *Thomas B. Chinn Elementary School
  • *English Landing Elementary School
  • *Graden Elementary School
  • *Hawthorn Elementary School
  • *Line Creek Elementary School
  • *Gerner Family Early Education Center
  • *Prairie Point Elementary School
  • *Southeast Elementary School
  • *Tiffany Ridge Elementary School
  • *Union Chapel Elementary School
  • *Congress Middle School
  • *Lakeview Middle School
  • *Plaza Middle School
  • *Walden Middle School
  • *Park Hill High School -- within Kansas City city limits
  • *Park Hill South High School – Riverside
  • *LEAD Innovation Studio
  • Platte County R-III School District – Platte City
  • *Donald D. Siegrist Elementary School
  • *Pathfinder Elementary School
  • * Compass Elementary School
  • *Barry Elementary School
  • *Platte Purchase Middle School
  • *Platte City Middle School
  • *Platte County High School
  • West Platte County R-II School District – Weston
  • *Central Elementary School
  • *West Platte County High School

    Private schools

  • Clay-Platte Children's House Montessori School – Kansas City – Nonsectarian
  • Martin Luther Academy – Kansas City – Lutheran
  • Northland Christian Education System – Kansas City – Nondenominational Christian
  • St. Therese School – Kansas City – Roman Catholic
  • Prairie View KinderCare – Kansas City – Nonsectarian
  • Christ Lutheran Pre-Kindergarten School – Platte Woods – Lutheran
  • Our Savior Christian Academy - Platte City and Smithville

    College and universities

has a service area that includes all of the county, though only the portion in the Park Hill school district is in the community college district's in-district taxation zone.

Public libraries

  • Mid-Continent Public Library

    Communities

Cities

  • Camden Point
  • Dearborn
  • Edgerton
  • Houston Lake
  • Kansas City
  • Lake Waukomis
  • Northmoor
  • Parkville
  • Platte City
  • Platte Woods
  • Riverside
  • Smithville
  • Tracy
  • Weatherby Lake
  • Weston

    Villages

  • Farley
  • Ferrelview
  • Iatan
  • Ridgely

    Civil townships

  • Carroll
  • Fair
  • Fox
  • Green
  • Kickapoo
  • Lee
  • Marshall
  • May
  • Pawnee
  • Pettis
  • Preston
  • Sioux
  • Waldron
  • Weston

    Census-designated place

  • New Market

    Unincorporated communities

  • Beverly
  • Dye
  • East Leavenworth
  • Edgerton Junction
  • Hoover
  • Kerrville
  • Stillings
  • Stubbs
  • Waldron
  • West Platte
  • Woodruff

    Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 US census of Platte County.
† County seat
†† Partly within adjacent counties
RankNameMunicipal TypePopulation
1Kansas City ††Home Rule508,090
2Smithville ††4th Class City10,406
3Parkville4th Class City7,117
4Platte City †4th Class City4,784
5Riverside4th Class City4,013
6Weatherby Lake4th Class City2,077
7Weston4th Class City1,756
8Lake Waukomis4th Class City888
9FerrelviewVillage642
10Edgerton4th Class City601
11Dearborn4th Class City482
12Camden Point4th Class City457
13Platte Woods4th Class City394
14Northmoor4th Class City291
15Tracy4th Class City269
16FarleyVillage265
17Houston Lake4th Class City229
18RidgelyVillage95
19New MarketCensus-designated place88
20IatanVillage39

Politics

Local

The Republican Party controls politics at the local level in Platte County. Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county. However, Governor Jay Nixon carried the county in his two successful elections, and in 2004, Claire McCaskill of Jackson County narrowly won a majority of the county's votes over Republican victor Matt Blunt. While the county has swung to the Republican party, the presence of Kansas City has helped keep the county competitive into the 21st century.