New Madrid (pronounced /n(j)uː ˈmædrɪd/) is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles (68 km) south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at the 2000 census. New Madrid is the county seat of New Madrid County.[3] This county seat is home to the consolidated middle and high schools. "Madrid" in this name is usually pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (MAD-rid), unlike the Spanish capital Madrid (ma-DRID).
The area is famous for being the site of a series of over 1,000 earthquakes in 1811 and 1812, ranging up to approximately magnitude 8, the most powerful non-subduction zone earthquake recorded in the United States. New Madrid, Missouri lies far away from any plate boundaries, although it lies on what is called the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The earthquake was felt as far away as the East Coast.[4]
The city is also remembered as being the nearby location for the Mississippi River military engagement, the Battle of Island Number Ten, during the Civil War.
The city is the namesake for the song New Madrid on the album Anodyne by famed alt.country group Uncle Tupelo.
Geography
New Madrid is located at 36°35′16″N 89°32′9″W / 36.58778°N 89.53583°W / 36.58778; -89.53583 (36.59, -89.54)[5]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,334 people, 1,275 households, and 882 families residing in the city. The population density was 738.3 people per square mile (284.8/km²). There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 313.1/sq mi (120.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.56% White, 26.48% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 1,275 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,422, and the median income for a family was $34,464. Males had a median income of $30,705 versus $21,045 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,639. About 22.6% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
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