Polk County, Missouri
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Polk County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,519.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Bolivar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county was organized January 5, 1835,<ref name="mdh.contentdm.oclc.org">Template:Cite web</ref> and is named for Ezekiel Polk. Polk County is part of the Springfield metropolitan area.
History
[edit]Polk County was separated and organized from Greene County on January 5, 1835. A supplement to the boundary change was made on March 13, 1835.<ref name="mdh.contentdm.oclc.org"/><ref>"History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri." published 1889, Goodspeed Publishing, p. 286.</ref> Its original boundaries were later reduced in creating Dade, Dallas, and Hickory counties. It was named in honor of Col. Ezekiel Polk of Tennessee, a soldier who served under General George Washington and who was the grandfather of John Polk Campbell and Ezekiel Madison Campbell, brothers who helped to settle Polk and Greene counties.<ref>"Polk County Classics, a Sesquicentennial Photograph Album, 1835-1985" by George Francis Hooper and James C. Sterling, published 1985, p. 4, "History and Families of Polk County, Missouri", published 2002 by the Polk County Genealogical Society, Inc., p. 8.</ref> Ezekiel Polk was also the grandfather of James K. Polk, who was a member of the US House of Representatives in 1835. He was elected President of the United States in 1844.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.1%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Hickory County (north)
- Dallas County (east)
- Greene County (south)
- Dade County (southwest)
- Cedar County (west)
- St. Clair County (northwest)
Major highways
[edit]- File:MO-13.svg Route 13
- File:MO-32.svg Route 32
- File:MO-83.svg Route 83
- File:MO-123.svg Route 123
- File:MO-215.svg Route 215
Transit
[edit]Demographics
[edit]As of the 2000 census, there were 26,992 people, 9,917 households, and 7,140 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 11,183 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 97.26% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Approximately 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,917 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 12.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,656, and the median income for a family was $35,843. Males had a median income of $25,383 versus $18,799 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,645. About 11.10% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
[edit]| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 28,682 | 91% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 242 | 0.76% |
| Native American (NH) | 190 | 0.6% |
| Asian (NH) | 131 | 0.42% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 4 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 1,479 | 4.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 791 | 2.51% |
Education
[edit]Public libraries
[edit]- Polk County Public Library<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Media
[edit]The Bolivar Herald-Free Press is published twice weekly.
Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]- Bolivar (county seat)
- Fair Play
- Humansville
- Morrisville
- Pleasant Hope
Villages
[edit]- Aldrich
- Flemington
- Goodnight, from 2003 to 2016
- Halfway
Unincorporated communities
[edit]- Adonis
- Brighton
- Burns
- Cliquot
- Dunnegan
- Eudora
- Goodson
- Graydon Springs
- Huckaby
- Huron
- Karlin
- Knox
- Mohawk Corner
- Polk
- Rimby
- Rock Prairie
- Rondo
- Schofield
- Sentinel
- Slagle
- Sunset
- Tin Town
- Van
- Violet
- West Bend
- Wishart
Townships
[edit]Polk County is divided into 22 townships: Template:Div col
- Campbell Township
- Cliquot Township
- East Looney Township
- East Madison Township
- Flemington Township
- Jackson Township
- Jefferson Township
- Johnson Township
- McKinley Township
- Mooney Township
- North Benton Township
- North Green Township
- Northeast Marion Township
- Northwest Marion Township
- South Benton Township
- South Green Township
- Southeast Marion Township
- Southwest Marion Township
- Union Township
- West Looney Township
- West Madison Township
- Wishart Township
Politics
[edit]Template:Unreferenced section Template:Update
Local
[edit]Template:Missouri county elected officials
The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Polk County. Republicans hold all of the elected positions in the county. Template:Clear right
State
[edit]| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 79.38% 12,487 | 18.69% 2,940 | 1.93% 304 |
| 2020 | 81.74% 12,319 | 16.42% 2,475 | 1.84% 278 |
| 2016 | 66.92% 9,251 | 30.15% 4,168 | 2.92% 404 |
| 2012 | 53.89% 7,052 | 43.15% 5,647 | 2.96% 388 |
| 2008 | 45.76% 6,244 | 49.52% 6,758 | 4.72% 644 |
| 2004 | 67.84% 8,418 | 30.90% 3,835 | 1.56% 1.26 |
| 2000 | 58.65% 5,996 | 39.79% 4,068 | 1.55% 159 |
| 1996 | 55.64% 5,043 | 40.51% 3,672 | 3.85% 349 |
All of Polk County is in the 128th district in the Missouri House of Representatives, and is represented by Christopher Warwick (R-Bolivar), who was elected in 2024. Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
All of Polk County is a part of Missouri's 28th district in the Missouri Senate, which is currently held by Republican Sandy Crawford. Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
Federal
[edit]Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
All of Polk county is included in Missouri's 4th congressional district and is currently represented by Mark Alford (R-Lake Winnebago) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
Political culture
[edit]Polk County has been a Republican Party stronghold for most of its history at the presidential level. In only four presidential elections from 1896 to the present has a Democratic Party candidate carried the county, the most recent being Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
[edit]Template:Main Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 2,317, than any candidate from either party in Polk County during the 2008 presidential primary.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- http://www.bolivarmonews.com/
- Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Polk County Template:Webarchive from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
- Polk County Sheriff's Office
Template:Polk County, Missouri Template:Missouri Template:Authority control