Dunklin County, Missouri

Dunklin County is a county located in the Bootheel of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 31,953.[1] The largest city and county seat is Kennett.[2] The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845,[3] and is named in honor of Daniel Dunklin,[4] a Governor of Missouri who died the year before the county was organized.

Dunklin County
U.S. county
Dunklin County Courthouse in Kennett
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°16′N 90°05′W
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedFebruary 14, 1845
Named forDaniel Dunklin
SeatKennett
Largest cityKennett
Area
 • Total547 sq mi (1,420 km2)
 • Land541 sq mi (1,400 km2)
 • Water6.1 sq mi (16 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total31,953
 • Estimate 
(2018)
29,423
 • Density58/sq mi (23/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitedunklincounty.org

Dunklin County comprises the Kennett, MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 547 square miles (1,420 km2), of which 541 square miles (1,400 km2) is land and 6.1 square miles (16 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5] The lowest point in the state of Missouri is located on the St. Francis River in Buffalo Township in Dunklin County, where it flows out of Missouri and into Arkansas.

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18501,229—
18605,026309.0%
18705,98219.0%
18809,60460.5%
189015,08557.1%
190021,70643.9%
191030,32839.7%
192032,7738.1%
193035,7999.2%
194044,95725.6%
195045,3290.8%
196039,139−13.7%
197033,742−13.8%
198036,3247.7%
199033,112−8.8%
200033,1550.1%
201031,953−3.6%
2018 (est.)29,423[6]−7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2015[1]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 33,155 people, 13,411 households, and 9,159 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile (23/km2). There were 14,682 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.64% White, 8.68% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Approximately 2.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Dunklin County were 38.8% American, 10.6% Irish, 8.2% German, and 7.5% English ancestry.

There were 13,411 households, of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% were married couples living together, 13.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were "non-families." Of all households, 28.10% consisted of individuals and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94.

Of the county's population, 26.00% were under the age of 18, 8.10% were from 18 to 24, 26.00% were from 25 to 44, 23.50% were from 45 to 64, and 16.50% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.60 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 85.10 men.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,927, and the median income for a family was $38,439. Males had a median income of $27,288 versus $18,142 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,737. About 19.40% of families and 24.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.90% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over. Of the state's 115 counties, in 2010 Dunklin ranked 105th in terms of poverty.[12][13]

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Dunklin County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Dunklin County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (64.11%), Methodists (8.66%), and Churches of Christ (6.74%).

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Dunklin County, 63.7% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 9.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools

Private schools

Alternative and vocational schools
  • Bootheel State School - Clarkton - (K-12) - A school for handicapped and special need students.
  • Diagnostic Center - Kennett - (PK-12) - Special Education
  • Kennett Area Vocational School - Kennett - (09-12) - Vocational/technical

Public libraries
  • Dunklin County Library
  • Arbyrd Community Library[14]

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

Kennett Memorial Airport is a public-use airport in Dunklin County. It is located one nautical mile (1.85 km) southeast of the central business district of Kennett, which owns the airport.[15]

Health care

The county no longer has a hospital as the Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center closed on June 11, 2018. The nearest hospital is now Pemiscot County Hospital in Hayti. The region suffers from high infant and maternal mortality rates.[16]

Media

Radio

FM

  • FM 89.9 KAUF Kennett
  • FM 92.9 KLSC Malden
  • LPFM 102.5 KCJS Kennett
  • FM 104.3 KXOQ Kennett
  • FM 105.5 KBOA-FM Piggott, AR-Kennett
  • FM 106.5 KTMO New Madrid-Kennett
  • FM 107.5 KFEB Campbell

AM

Print

Television

There are no television stations in Dunklin County, Missouri. Dunklin County, Missouri is placed in the Paducah, KY, Cape Girardeau, MO, & Harrisburg, Illinois Television Market. Those stations include:

However some residents in the south end of the county watch stations from the Memphis, TN and Jonesboro, AR Television Markets.

Politics

Local

Dunklin County was once a Democratic stronghold. However, like the rest of Southeast Missouri and the Bootheel in particular, the county has swung Republican. In 2020 alone, three formerly Democratic officials switched their registration to Republican, and Republicans now control a majority of elected offices.

Dunklin County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Rena Ingram Republican
Circuit Clerk Paula Gargus Democratic
County Clerk Kent Hampton Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Don Collins Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Ron Huber Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Patrick McHaney Republican
Coroner James Powell Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain Republican
Public Administrator Matt Jackson Republican
Recorder Connie Green Republican
Sheriff Bob Holder Republican
Surveyor Metz Skelton Democratic
Treasurer/Collector Kathy Rasberry Democratic

State
Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2012 43.55% 4,560 54.03% 5,657 2.43% 254
2008 41.65% 4,792 56.13% 6,458 2.22% 255
2004 52.46% 6,015 46.25% 5,302 1.29% 148
2000 42.70% 4,471 56.11% 5,875 1.19% 125
1996 31.51% 3,232 66.86% 6,858 1.63% 167
1992 39.36% 4,309 60.64% 6,640 0.00% 0
1988 58.16% 5,822 41.74% 4,178 0.10% 10
1984 51.01% 5,407 48.99% 5,193 0.00% 0
1980 46.29% 5,203 53.62% 6,026 0.09% 10
1976 40.86% 4,131 59.08% 5,974 0.06% 6
1972 49.07% 4,239 50.85% 4,393 0.09% 7
1968 25.16% 2,879 74.84% 8,566 0.00% 0
1964 24.32% 2,804 75.68% 8,724 0.00% 0
1960 30.71% 3,938 69.29% 8,884 0.00% 0

In the Missouri House of Representatives, Dunklin County is divided into two legislative districts, both of which are represented by Republicans.

  • District 150 – Consists of most of the county (the central and southern portions). The district includes the entire city of Kennett as well as the communities of Campbell, Clarkton, Holcomb, Senath, Hornersville, Rives, Arbyrd, and Cardwell. Kent Hampton, a Republican from Malden, was reelected in 2012 to his second term in the Missouri House in the newly redrawn district.
  • District 152 – Consists of the northern portion of the county and takes in the entire city of Malden. Todd Richardson, a Republican from Poplar Bluff, was reelected in 2012 to his second term in the Missouri House in the newly redrawn district.

In the Missouri Senate, all of Dunklin County is a part of Missouri's 25th District and is currently represented by Republican Doug Libla of Dexter. Libla defeated former Democratic State Representative Terry Swinger of Caruthersville in 2012 to be elected to his first term in the Missouri Senate to succeed fellow Republican Rob Mayer of Dexter. Mayer successfully served two terms/eight years in the Missouri Senate and was ineligible to seek a third term due to term limits.

Federal

Missouri's two U.S. Senators are Republican Josh Hawley of Columbia and Republican Roy Blunt of Strafford.

McCaskill was reelected to her second term in 2012 with 54.81 percent of the statewide vote over former Republican U.S. Representative W. Todd Akin of Town & Country and Libertarian Jonathan Dine of Riverside; Dunklin County gave McCaskill just over 50 and a half percent of the vote.

U.S. Senate - Class I – Dunklin County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 5,347 50.69
Republican W. Todd Akin 4,806 45.56
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 395 3.74

Blunt was elected to his first term in 2010 with 54.23 percent of the statewide vote over former Democratic Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, Libertarian Jonathan Dine of Riverside, and Constitutionalist Jerry Beck of Novelty; Dunklin County voters backed Blunt with just under 62 and a half percent of the vote.

U.S. Senate - Class III – Dunklin County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 4,306 62.48
Democratic Robin Carnahan 2,363 34.29
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 121 1.76
Constitution Jerry Beck 102 1.48

All of Dunklin County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Republican Jason T. Smith of Salem in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to complete the remaining term of former Republican U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson of 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.

U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 – Dunklin County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jo Ann Emerson 7,416 70.66 +4.06
Democratic Jack Rushin 2,884 27.48 -3.34
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 196 1.87 +0.87
U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 - Special Election – Dunklin County (2013)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 1,407 67.22
Democratic Steve Hodges 618 29.53
Constitution Doug Enyart 37 1.77
Libertarian Bill Slantz 30 1.43
Write-in Thomas Brown 1 0.05

Political culture
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 78.1% 8,135 21.1% 2,200 0.8% 84
2016 75.9% 8,026 22.3% 2,360 1.8% 192
2012 64.3% 6,850 34.1% 3,636 1.6% 165
2008 59.9% 7,044 38.6% 4,540 1.5% 180
2004 57.6% 6,720 42.0% 4,901 0.5% 56
2000 51.6% 5,426 47.0% 4,947 1.4% 152
1996 37.0% 3,766 53.4% 5,428 9.6% 979
1992 35.1% 4,024 54.7% 6,277 10.3% 1,178
1988 48.7% 5,026 51.2% 5,281 0.1% 13
1984 55.1% 6,092 44.9% 4,967
1980 45.6% 5,253 53.1% 6,120 1.4% 157
1976 31.7% 3,314 68.1% 7,107 0.2% 22
1972 68.1% 5,926 31.9% 2,776
1968 35.4% 4,366 41.1% 5,063 23.5% 2,903
1964 29.0% 3,465 71.0% 8,467
1960 50.5% 6,708 49.5% 6,568
1956 36.2% 4,943 63.8% 8,698
1952 36.2% 5,400 63.8% 9,515 0.1% 9
1948 18.3% 2,466 81.6% 10,979 0.1% 16
1944 33.6% 4,274 66.2% 8,431 0.2% 27
1940 33.1% 5,516 66.7% 11,132 0.2% 32
1936 26.8% 3,775 72.8% 10,233 0.4% 58
1932 17.6% 1,977 81.5% 9,141 0.8% 93
1928 42.4% 3,602 57.4% 4,879 0.2% 20
1924 42.7% 3,436 54.1% 4,357 3.2% 259
1920 44.7% 4,455 52.2% 5,199 3.1% 309
1916 31.9% 1,924 61.7% 3,723 6.4% 386
1912 18.8% 987 51.9% 2,723 29.3% 1,538
1908 35.2% 1,638 58.7% 2,734 6.1% 286
1904 38.5% 1,461 58.7% 2,229 2.8% 108
1900 31.4% 1,276 66.8% 2,711 1.8% 73
1896 24.4% 961 75.5% 2,975 0.2% 6
1892 22.0% 659 72.3% 2,167 5.7% 170
1888 28.1% 719 71.9% 1,838

Historically, Dunklin County has tended to support Democrats at the presidential level. A predominantly rural county in the heavily impoverished Bootheel with a fairly substantial African American population, Democrats at all levels have historically performed quite well in Dunklin County. Bill Clinton of neighboring Arkansas was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county in 1996; since then, Dunklin County has, like virtually all counties throughout the state, experienced a rapid trend rightward, as Republicans have been surging at the presidential level. Voters in Dunklin County still maintain their historically Democratic roots as Democrats hold all the local elected offices in the county, and statewide elections are much more competitive and still have a tendency to lean Democratic. Case in point: Incumbent U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, carried Dunklin County by approximately five percentage points in her reelection bid for U.S. Senate in 2012 at the same time as former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, a Republican, trounced incumbent President Barack Obama by 30 points in the county.

Like most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in Dunklin County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles but are more moderate or populist on economic issues, typical of the Dixiecrat philosophy. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Dunklin County with 87.57 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 Dunklin County with 53.70 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 Dunklin 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 Dunklin County with 79.42 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.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

In the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary, voters in Dunklin 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 in Dunklin County, 2,587, than any candidate from either party during the 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential preference primary. The 2,587 is more votes than the total number cast in the entire Republican primary in Dunklin County.
Dunklin County, Missouri
2008 Republican primary in Missouri
John McCain480 (21.46%)
Mike Huckabee1,309 (58.52%)
Mitt Romney381 (17.03%)
Ron Paul36 (1.61%)
Dunklin County, Missouri
2008 Democratic primary in Missouri
Hillary Clinton2,587 (78.44%)
Barack Obama604 (18.31%)
John Edwards (withdrawn)69 (2.09%)
Uncommitted24 (1.90%)

Communities

Notable people
  • Sheryl Crow, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, was born in Kennett and grew up there.
  • Trent Tomlinson, country music singer/songwriter, was born and raised in Kennett
  • David Nail, country music singer, was born and raised in Kennett.
  • Limmie Pulliam, classical and opera singer, was born and raised in Kennett.
  • Catina O'Leary, health literacy, public health, and social work professional was born and raised in Kennett.
  • Onie Wheeler, country music and bluegrass musician

[19]

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 165.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 110.
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  12. "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  13. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  14. Breeding, Marshall. "Dunklin County Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  15. FAA Airport Form 5010 for TKX PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 11 February 2010.
  16. Healy, Jack (17 July 2018). "It's 4 a.m. The Baby's Coming. But the Hospital Is 100 Miles Away". New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  17. "Delta Dunklin Democrat | Newspaper serving Kennett, Missouri". Delta Dunklin Democrat. Retrieved 2019-01-12.
  18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  19. http://www.dddnews.com/story/1991176.html

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