| Jefferson County, Missouri | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Missouri |
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 Missouri's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1818 |
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| Seat | Hillsboro |
| Largest city | Arnold |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
664 sq mi (1,720 km²) 657 sq mi (1,702 km²) 7 sq mi (18 km²), 1.10% |
| PopulationEst. - (2008) - Density |
217,679 331/sq mi (127.8/km²) |
| Website: www.jeffcomo.org | |
Jefferson County is a county located in East Central Missouri in the United States. The county was included as the mean center of U.S. population in 1980. It is the sixth most populous county in Missouri. A 2008 estimate showed the county's population to be 217,679.[1] Its county seat is Hillsboro. The county was organized in 1818 and named in honor of former President Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area and consists of many of the southern suburbs of St. Louis.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 664 square miles (1,720 km²), of which, 657 square miles (1,701 km²) of it is land and 7 square miles (19 km²) of it (1.10%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- St. Louis County (north)
- Monroe County, Illinois, across the Mississippi River (east)
- Ste. Genevieve County (southeast)
- St. Francois County (south)
- Washington County (southwest)
- Franklin County (west)
Major highways
National Protected Area
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 198,099 people, 71,499 households, and 54,553 families residing in the county. The population density was 302 people per square mile (116/km²). There were 75,586 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.48% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Approximately 1.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 71,499 households out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.70% were non-families. 18.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 31.80% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $60,636, and the median income for a family was $66,697. Males had a median income of $37,822 versus $25,440 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,058. About 4.90% of families and 6.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.10% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
There are 146,316 registered voters.[3]
Cities and towns
- † incorporated
Education
Public Schools
- Crystal City School District 47 - Crystal City
- Crystal City Elementary School (K-08)
- Crystal City High School (09-12)
- De Soto School District 73 - De Soto
- Early Childhood Center (PK)
- Athena Elementary School (K-06)
- Vineland Elementary School (K-06)
- De Soto Jr. High School (07-08)
- De Soto High School (09-12)
- Dunklin R-V School District - Herculaneum
- Pevely Elementary School (K-04) - Pevely
- Senn-Thomas Middle School (05-08) - Herculaneum
- Herculaneum High School (09-12)
- Festus R-VI School District - Festus
- Festus Elementary School (K-03)
- Festus Intermediate School (04-06)
- Festus Middle School (07-08)
- Festus High School (09-12)
- Fox C-6 School District - Arnold
- Antonia Elementary School (K-06) - Imperial
- Clyde Hamrick Elementary School (K-06) - Imperial
- Don Earl Early Childhood Center (PK) - Arnold
- Fox Elementary School (K-06) - Arnold
- George Guffey Elementary School (K-06) - Fenton
- Lone Dell Elementary School (K-06) - Arnold
- Meramec Heights Elementary School (K-06) - Arnold
- Raymond & Nancy Hodge Elementary School (K-06) - Imperial
- Richard Simpson Elementary School (K-06) - Arnold
- Rockport Heights Elementary School (K-06) - Arnold
- Seckman Elementary School (K-06) - Imperial
- Sherwood Elementary School (K-06) - Arnold
- Fox Middle School (07-08) - Arnold
- Ridgewood Middle School (07-08) - Arnold
- Seckman Middle School (07-08) - Imperial
- Fox High School (09-12) - Arnold
- Seckman High School (09-12) - Imperial
- Grandview R-II School District - Hillsboro
- Grandview Elementary School (K-05) - Hillsboro
- Grandview Middle School (06-08) - Hillsboro
- Grandview High School (09-12) - Hillsboro
- Hillsboro R-III School District - Hillsboro
- Hillsboro Primary School (K-02)
- Hillsboro Elementary School (03-04)
- Hillsboro Middle School (05-06)
- Hillsboro Jr. High School (07-08)
- Hillsboro High School (09-12)
- Jefferson County R-VII School District - Festus
- Plattin Primary School (PK-02) - Festus
- Telegraph Intermediate School (03-05) - Festus
- Danby-Rush Tower Middle School (06-08) - Festus
- Northwest R-I School District - High Ridge
- Brennan Woods Elementary School (K-04) - High Ridge
- Cedar Springs Elementary School (K-04) - House Springs
- High Ridge Elementary School (K-04) - High Ridge
- House Springs Elementary School (K-04) - House Springs
- Maple Grove Elementary School (K-04) - Dittmer
- Murphy Elementary School (K-04) - High Ridge
- Cedar Hill Intermediate School (05-06) - Cedar Hill
- House Springs Intermediate School (05-06) - House Springs
- North Jefferson Intermediate School (05-06) - High Ridge
- Northwest Valley School (07-08) - House Springs
- Northwest High School (09-12) - Cedar Hill
- Sunrise R-IX School District - De Soto
- Sunrise Elementary School (K-08) - De Soto
- Windsor C-1 School District - Imperial
- James E. Freer Elementary School (K-03) - Barnhart
- Windsor Elementary School (K-02) - Imperial
- Windsor Intermediate School (03-05) - Imperial
- Windsor Middle School (06-08) - Imperial
- Windsor High School (09-12) - Imperial
Private Schools
- Christian Outreach School (K-12) - Hillsboro - Nondenominational Christian
- People's Christian Academy (K-12) - Arnold - Assembly of God/Pentecostal
- St. Pius X High School (09-12) - Festus - Roman Catholic
- Twin City Christian Academy (PK-12) - Festus - Baptist
- Good Shepherd Catholic School - (K-08) - Hillsboro - Roman Catholic
- Holy Child Elementary & Middle School - Arnold - (K-08) - Nondenominational Christianity
- Manna Christian Academy - De Soto - (K-12) - Southern Baptist
- Our Lady's Catholic School - Festus - (K-08) - Roman Catholic
- Our Lady Queen of Peace School - House Springs - (K-08) - Roman Catholic
- Sacred Heart Catholic School - Festus - (K-08) - Roman Catholic
- St. Anthony's Catholic School - High Ridge - (K-08) - Roman Catholic
- St. Joseph's Catholic School - Kimmswick - (K-08) - Roman Catholic
- St. Johns Lutheran School - Arnold - (PK-08) - Lutheran
- St. Johns School - Imperial - (K-08) - Nondenominational Christianity
- St. Rose of Lima Catholic School - De Soto - (K-08) - Roman Catholic
County Parks and Recreation
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Politics
Local
Politics at the local level in Jefferson County is completely controlled by the Democratic Party. All of Jefferson County's local elected offices are held by Democrats.
| Office | Incumbent | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Assessor | Randy Holman | Democratic |
| Auditor | Dorothy Stafford | Democratic |
| County Executive | Edward L. Kemp | Democratic |
| County Executive | Patrick J. Lamping | Democratic |
| County Executive | Chuck Banks | Democratic |
| Circuit Clerk | Howard L. Wagner | Democratic |
| Clerk | Wes Wagner | Democratic |
| Collector | Beth Mahn | Democratic |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Forrest K. Wegge | Democratic |
| Public Administrator | Bruce King | Democratic |
| Recorder | Marlene Castle | Democratic |
| Sheriff | Oliver Glenn Boyer | Democratic |
| Treasurer | Mark Abel | Democratic |
State
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 34.42% 35,947 | 63.87% 66,697 | 1.71% 1,781 |
| 2004 | 49.23% 45,891 | 49.25% 45,909 | 1.52% 1,424 |
| 2000 | 47.05% 36,060 | 49.33% 37,808 | 3.62% 2,775 |
| 1996 | 43.90% 28,986 | 52.96% 34,970 | 3.14% 2,077 |
Jefferson County is divided into seven legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, all represented by Democrats who ran unopposed in 2008 and were all reelected with 100% of the vote:
- District 90: Sam Komo (D-House Springs)
- District 101: Timothy G. Meadows (D-Imperial)
- District 102: Jeff Roorda (D-Barnhart)
- District 103: Ron Casey (D-Crystal City)
- District 104: Joseph Fallert, Jr. (D-Ste. Genevieve)
- District 105: Michael Frame (D-Eureka)
- District 110: Belinda Harris (D-Hillsboro)
In the Missouri Senate, Jefferson County is represented by two state senators:
- District 3: Kevin Engler (R-Farmington). In 2008, Engler defeated Democratic challenger Dennis Riche with 58.72% of the total vote in the district while Riche received 41.29%; the Jefferson County precincts backed Engler with 54.73% and gave Riche 45.27%. The 3rd Senatorial District consists of Carter, Iron, Reynolds, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties in Southeast Missouri as well as parts of Jefferson County.
- District 22: Ryan McKenna (D-Crystal City). In 2006, McKenna received 60.47% of the total vote in the district to defeat Republican challenger Bill Alter who received 39.53% of the vote. The 22nd Senatorial District consists of parts of Jefferson County.
In Missouri's gubernatorial election of 2008, Governor of Missouri Jay Nixon (D) defeated former U.S. Representative Kenny Hulshof (R) with 58.40 percent of the total statewide vote. Nixon performed extremely well and won many of the counties in the state, including his home Jefferson County. The former attorney general Nixon carried Jefferson County by a wide two-to-one margin with 63.87 percent of the vote to Hulshof’s 34.42 percent.
Federal
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Jefferson County is represented by Russ Carnahan (D-St. Louis) who represents most of the southern portion of the Greater St. Louis Area as part of Missouri's 3rd Congressional District.
Political Culture
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 47.91% 50,804 | 50.42% 53,467 | 1.67% 1,779 |
| 2004 | 49.99% 46,624 | 49.38% 46,057 | 0.63% 583 |
| 2000 | 47.62% 36,766 | 50.02% 38,616 | 2.36% 1,822 |
| 1996 | 36.12% 23,877 | 48.52% 32,073 | 15.36% 10,152 |
A predominantly suburban county, Jefferson County is fairly independent-leaning at the federal level but does have a tendency to tilt Democratic. Presidential elections in Jefferson County are almost always extremely close; George W. Bush just narrowly carried the county in 2004 by less than 600 votes and by just over a half of a percentage point. Al Gore and Barack Obama also just narrowly carried the county in 2000 and 2008, respectively. Bill Clinton, however, did manage to carry Jefferson County by double digits both times in 1992 and 1996.
Typical of the suburban culture in most counties throughout the country, voters in Jefferson County tend to be rather centrist on social issues but more liberal on economic issues. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Jefferson County with 72.56 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 narrowly passed Jefferson County with 51.85 percent voting for 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. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Jefferson County with 79.90 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.
2008 Missouri Presidential Primary
Republican
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) won Jefferson County with 33.54 percent of the vote. Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts finished in a not-so-distant second place with 30.45 percent of the vote while former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) came in third place with 30.19 percent in Jefferson County. Libertarian-leaning U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) finished a distant fourth place with 3.94 percent of the vote in Jefferson County.
Huckabee slightly led Missouri throughout much of the evening until the precincts began reporting from St. Louis where McCain won and put him over the top of Huckabee. In the end, McCain received 32.95 percent of the vote to Huckabee’s 31.53 percent—a 1.42 percent difference. McCain received all of Missouri’s 58 delegates as the Republican Party utilizes the winner-take-all system.
Democratic
Former U.S. Senator and now Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) won Jefferson County over now President Barack Obama (D-Illinois) by an almost two-to-one margin with 61.32 percent of the vote while Obama received 35.02 percent of the vote. Although he withdrew from the race, former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-North Carolina) still received 2.74 percent of the vote in Jefferson County. Jefferson County gave Clinton one of her strongest showings in a predominantly suburban county in the entire country.
Clinton had a large initial lead in Missouri at the beginning of the evening as the rural precincts began to report, leading several news organizations to call the state for her; however, Obama rallied from behind as the heavily African American precincts from St. Louis began to report and eventually put him over the top. In the end, Obama received 49.32 percent of the vote to Clinton’s 47.90 percent—a 1.42 percent difference. Both candidates split Missouri’s 72 delegates as the Democratic Party utilizes proportional representation.
- Hillary Rodham Clinton received more votes, a total of 19,075, than any candidate from either party in Jefferson County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Primaries. She also received more votes than the total number of votes cast in the entire Republican Primary in Jefferson County.
See also
References
- ^ "Missouri County Officials" (PDF). Missouri (Secretary of State). p. 117. http://www.sos.mo.gov/MOroster/county_officials.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Registered Voters in Missouri 2008
External links
- Jefferson County MO Historical Society
- Jefferson County Online
- Jefferson County Sherriff's Department
- Jefferson County portion of Goodspeed's History (1888)
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St. Louis County | |
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| Franklin County |  |
Monroe County, Illinois | ||
 Jefferson County, Missouri  |
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| Washington County | St. Francois County | Ste. Genevieve County |
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