Bell City, Missouri

Last updated

Bell City, Missouri
Nickname: 
The town of bell
Stoddard County Missouri Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bell City Highlighted.svg
Location of Bell City, Missouri
Coordinates: 37°01′25″N89°49′10″W / 37.02361°N 89.81944°W / 37.02361; -89.81944 [1]
Country United States
State Missouri
County Stoddard
Area
[2]
  Total
0.55 sq mi (1.44 km2)
  Land0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
[1]
331 ft (101 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
464
  Density843.64/sq mi (325.53/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
63735
Area code 573
FIPS code 29-04132 [3]
GNIS feature ID2394109 [1]

Bell City is a city in northeastern Stoddard County, Missouri, United States. It was founded as a sawmill town circa 1900, and lies at the foothills of Crowley's Ridge on Missouri Route 91. [4] The population was 464 at the 2020 census. [5] Dorothy Burton is the current mayor.

Contents

History

A post office called Bell City has been in operation since 1890. [6] The community was named after brothers Gesper Albert and Ralford Stephen Bell, proprietors of a local sawmill. [7] Bell City was situated along the St. Louis Southwestern Railway. [8]

Geography

Bell City is located on the western edge of the lowland region of southeast Missouri. Sikeston lies 15 miles to the southeast. The head of Little River is three miles to the east. Missouri Route 91 passes through the community, connecting with U.S. Route 61 at Morley, ten miles to the east. [9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.55 square miles (1.42 km2), all land. [10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1900 100
1910 316216.0%
1930 256
1940 30017.2%
1950 48260.7%
1960 409−15.1%
1970 4243.7%
1980 53927.1%
1990 469−13.0%
2000 461−1.7%
2010 448−2.8%
2020 4643.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

2010 census

As of the census [12] of 2010, there were 448 people, 182 households, and 124 families living in the city. The population density was 814.5 inhabitants per square mile (314.5/km2). There were 212 housing units at an average density of 385.5 per square mile (148.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.64% White, 1.79% Black or African American, 1.34% Native American, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.22% of the population.

There were 182 households, of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% 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 2.98.

The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census [3] of 2000, there were 461 people, 196 households, and 126 families living in the city. The population density was 830.9 inhabitants per square mile (320.8/km2). There were 220 housing units at an average density of 396.5 per square mile (153.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.48% White, 1.08% African American, 0.22% Native American, and 0.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 196 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $28,636. Males had a median income of $22,125 versus $16,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,664. About 11.8% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in the Bell City R-II School District. [13]

Notable People

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bell City, Missouri
  2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. Towns of Stoddard County Archived January 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Bell City city, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  6. "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  7. "Stoddard County Place Names, 1928–1945". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  8. History of Southeast Missouri: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. p. 391. ISBN   9780722207536.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  9. Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 1st ed., 1998, p. 68, ISBN   0899332242
  10. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  13. Geography Division (January 12, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Stoddard County, MO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved May 30, 2025. - Text list