Stoddard County, Missouri

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Template:Infobox U.S. county

Stoddard County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,672.[1] The county seat is Bloomfield.[2] The county was officially organized on January 2, 1835, and is named for Amos Stoddard, the first American commandant (an early term for "governor") of Upper Louisiana.[3]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 829 square miles (2,150 km2), of which 823 square miles (2,130 km2) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km2) (0.7%) is water.[4][5]

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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National protected area

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Demographics

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Template:US Census population

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 28,672. The median age was 42.2 years, 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.[6]

33.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 66.4% lived in rural areas.[7]

There were 11,917 households in the county, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[6]

There were 13,402 housing units, of which 11.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.9% were owner-occupied and 31.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.[6]

2000 census

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As of the 2000 census,[8] there were 29,705 people, 12,064 households, and 8,480 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 13,221 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.34% White, 0.91% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Approximately 0.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.4% were of American, 15.4% German, 12.4% Irish and 8.5% English ancestry.

There were 12,064 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,120, and the median income for a family was $41,072. Males had a median income of $26,514 versus $17,778 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,003. About 12.80% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 17.60% of those age 65 or over.

Racial and ethnic composition

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The 2020 census reported that the county was 93.6% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 4.0% from two or more races, with Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprising 2.0% of the population.[9]

Stoddard County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[10] Pop 1990[11] Pop 2000[12] Pop 2010[13] Pop 2020[14] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 28,158 28,249 28,772 28,931 26,610 97.07% 97.76% 96.86% 96.54% 92.81%
Black or African American alone (NH) 638 408 268 274 298 2.20% 1.41% 0.90% 0.91% 1.04%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 51 58 111 91 67 0.18% 0.20% 0.37% 0.30% 0.23%
Asian alone (NH) 23 41 28 51 90 0.08% 0.14% 0.09% 0.17% 0.31%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [15] x [16] 3 2 2 x x 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 6 7 11 3 33 0.02% 0.02% 0.04% 0.01% 0.12%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [17] x [18] 281 260 1,006 x x 0.95% 0.87% 3.51%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 133 132 231 356 566 0.46% 0.46% 0.78% 1.19% 1.97%
Total 29,009 28,895 29,705 29,968 28,672 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Religion

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According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Stoddard County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Stoddard County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (41.4%), Methodists (12.9%), and Pentecostal (8.3%).[19]

Politics

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Local

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The Republican Party predominately controls politics at the local level in Stoddard County. Republicans hold ten of the elected positions in the county. In the 2016 election, Sheriff Carl Hefner, who originally ran as a Democrat, switched parties and ran as a Republican.

Template:Missouri county elected officials

State

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Stoddard County is divided among three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives.

  • District 159 – Currently represented by Herman Morse (R-Dexter) and consists of most of the county, including Advance, Bell City, Bloomfield, Dexter, Dudley, and Puxico.

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  • District 161 – Currently represented by Steve Hodges (D-East Prairie) and consists of some of the southeastern portions of the county along the New Madrid County border including Baker, Essex, and Penermon.

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  • District 163 – Currently represented by Kent Hampton (R-Malden) and consists of the southwestern corner along the Dunklin and Butler county lines, including Bernie. Democratic incumbent Tom Todd was defeated by Republican challenger Kent Hampton in 2010.

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All of Stoddard County is a part of Missouri's 25th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by State Senator Rob Mayer (R-Dexter). In 2008, Mayer defeated Democrat M. Shane Stoelting 65.32%-34.68% in the district. The 25th Senatorial District consists of Butler, Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Ripley, Stoddard, and Wayne counties. Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2024 87.00% 11,683 11.57% 1,554 1.43% 192
2020 84.50% 11,269 13.90% 1,855 1.2% 162
2016 73.80% 9,792 24.00% 3,179 1.0% 127
2012 50.99% 6,514 46.81% 5,980 2.19% 280
2008 52.85% 6,919 45.33% 5,934 1.82% 239
2004 61.63% 8,152 37.35% 4,940 1.03% 136
2000 52.83% 6,537 45.98% 5,689 1.19% 147
1996 39.80% 4,423 58.49% 6,501 1.71% 190
1992 46.69% 5,487 53.31% 6,265 0.00% 0
1988 63.64% 6,634 36.30% 3,784 0.06% 6
1984 59.47% 6,421 40.53% 4,376 0.00% 0
1980 53.42% 6,093 46.54% 5,308 0.04% 5
1976 46.48% 4,617 53.50% 5,315 0.02% 2

Federal

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Stoddard County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith (R-Salem) 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 (R-Cape Girardeau). 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.

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Political culture

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United States presidential election results for Stoddard County, Missouri[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1888 1,064 35.41% 1,919 63.86% 22 0.73%
1892 1,218 33.97% 2,220 61.92% 147 4.10%
1896 1,584 34.64% 2,968 64.90% 21 0.46%
1900 1,840 39.78% 2,695 58.26% 91 1.97%
1904 2,088 45.63% 2,265 49.50% 223 4.87%
1908 2,025 39.87% 2,736 53.87% 318 6.26%
1912 1,363 25.94% 2,603 49.54% 1,288 24.51%
1916 2,482 40.63% 3,274 53.59% 353 5.78%
1920 4,641 49.16% 4,428 46.90% 372 3.94%
1924 3,844 44.29% 4,348 50.09% 488 5.62%
1928 4,906 54.81% 4,016 44.87% 29 0.32%
1932 3,234 30.84% 7,139 68.09% 112 1.07%
1936 4,828 42.02% 6,608 57.51% 55 0.48%
1940 6,055 47.24% 6,725 52.47% 38 0.30%
1944 5,079 45.81% 5,982 53.96% 25 0.23%
1948 3,117 30.65% 7,029 69.12% 23 0.23%
1952 5,514 47.33% 6,110 52.45% 25 0.21%
1956 4,832 43.14% 6,369 56.86% 0 0.00%
1960 6,366 54.49% 5,317 45.51% 0 0.00%
1964 3,014 33.65% 5,944 66.35% 0 0.00%
1968 3,919 44.43% 3,150 35.71% 1,751 19.85%
1972 6,282 70.44% 2,636 29.56% 0 0.00%
1976 3,989 39.45% 6,097 60.30% 25 0.25%
1980 6,199 53.85% 5,128 44.54% 185 1.61%
1984 6,701 60.95% 4,294 39.05% 0 0.00%
1988 5,822 55.25% 4,701 44.61% 15 0.14%
1992 4,608 37.44% 5,720 46.47% 1,980 16.09%
1996 5,020 44.92% 4,883 43.69% 1,273 11.39%
2000 7,727 62.04% 4,476 35.94% 251 2.02%
2004 9,242 69.74% 3,946 29.78% 64 0.48%
2008 9,172 69.16% 3,899 29.40% 191 1.44%
2012 9,496 73.81% 3,153 24.51% 217 1.69%
2016 11,079 83.36% 1,876 14.11% 336 2.53%
2020 11,484 85.54% 1,819 13.55% 123 0.92%
2024 11,783 86.42% 1,736 12.73% 115 0.84%
2016 1 33.33% 1 33.33% 1 33.33%


At the presidential level, Stoddard County generally tends to lean Republican. John McCain carried Stoddard County over Barack Obama by more than a two-to-one margin in 2008. George W. Bush also carried Stoddard County twice in 2000 over Al Gore and in 2004 over John Kerry when he received just under 70 percent of the vote. Bill Clinton did manage to carry Stoddard County in 1992 but narrowly lost it in his reelection bid in 1996 to Bob Dole.

Like most rural areas, voters in Stoddard County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Stoddard County with 88.29 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 a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Stoddard County with 60.65 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 Stoddard 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 (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Stoddard County with 72.02 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 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)

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Main articles: 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary and 2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary

In the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Stoddard County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 2,225, than any candidate from either party in Stoddard County during the 2008 presidential primaries.

Education

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School districts including sections of the county, no matter how slight, even if the relevant schools and/or administration buildings in another county:[21]

Public schools

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  • Advance R-IV School District - Advance
    • Advance Elementary School (K-06)
    • Advance High School (07–12)
  • Bell City R-II School District - Bell City
    • Bell City Elementary School (K-06)
    • Bell City High School (07–12)
  • Bernie R-XIII School District - Bernie
    • Bernie Elementary School (PK-06)
    • Bernie High School (07–12)
  • Bloomfield R-XIV School District - Bloomfield
    • Bloomfield Elementary School (PK-05)
    • Bloomfield Middle School (06–08)
    • Bloomfield High School (09–12)
    • Bloomfield Juvenile Center (03–12)
  • Dexter R-XI School District - Dexter
    • Southwest Elementary School (PK-02)
    • Central Elementary School (03–05)
    • T.S. Hill Middle School (06–08)
    • Dexter High School (09–12)
  • Puxico R-VIII School District - Puxico
    • Puxico Elementary School (PK-05)
    • Puxico Jr. High School (06–08)
    • Puxico High School (09–12)
    • Mingo Technical High School (12)
  • Richland R-I School District - Essex
    • Richland Elementary School (K-06)
    • Richland High School (07–12)

Public libraries

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  • Advance Community Library[22]
  • Bernie Public Library[23]
  • Bloomfield Public Library[24]
  • Keller Public Library[25]
  • Puxico Public Library[26]

Communities

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Cities

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Villages

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2020 census
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Eaton, David Wolfe (1918). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 366.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Stoddard County, Missouri". www.census.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  7. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  9. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Missouri- Table 16 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. pp. 20–25.
  11. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Missouri: Table 5 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. pp. 13–63.
  12. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Stoddard County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Stoddard County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Stoddard County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  16. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  17. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  18. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  19. ↑ "County Membership Report - Stoddard County (Missouri)". www.thearda.com. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  20. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  21. ↑ Geography Division (January 12, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Stoddard County, MO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 30, 2025. - Text list
  22. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Advance Community Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  23. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Bernie Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  24. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Bloomfield Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  25. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Keller Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  26. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Puxico Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
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Template:Geographic Location Template:Stoddard County, Missouri Template:Missouri

Coordinates: 36°52′N 89°57′W / 36.86°N 89.95°W / 36.86; -89.95

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