The Clark County, Missouri courthouse as it appeared circa 1878.Clark County Courthouse in 2007. It was demolished in 2010 despite being on the National Register of Historic Places.
Missouri folklorist Margot Ford McMillen wrote that early settlers were attracted by Clark County's good and inexpensive agricultural land. One section was called "Bit Nation" because land was sold there for just twelve and one-half cents ("one bit" of a Spanish dollar) an acre.[5]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,330 km2), of which 505 square miles (1,310 km2) is land and 7.1 square miles (18 km2) (1.4%) is water.[6]
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2015[1]
As of the census[11] of 2010, there were 7,139 people, 2,966 households, and 2,079 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile (5.8 people/km2). There were 3,483 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.83% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Approximately 0.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,966 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,457, and the median income for a family was $36,270. Males had a median income of $27,279 versus $19,917 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,988. About 10.80% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.70% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.
The Republican Party controls politics at the local level in Clark County. As of 2018, Republicans hold nine of fourteen of the elected positions in the county.
^McMillen, Margot Ford (1994). Paris, Tightwad and Peculiar: Missouri Place Names. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. p. 46. ISBN0-8262-0972-6.
