Ray County, Missouri

Last updated

Ray County
County
RAY COUNTY COURTHOUSE.jpg
Ray County Courthouse
Map of Missouri highlighting Ray County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri in United States.svg
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°21′N93°59′W / 39.35°N 93.99°W / 39.35; -93.99
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Missouri.svg Missouri
FoundedNovember 16, 1820
Named after John Ray, Missouri state legislator
Seat Richmond
Largest cityRichmond
Area
 • Total
574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land569 sq mi (1,470 km2)
 • Water5.1 sq mi (13 km2)  0.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
23,158
 • Density40/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 5th
Website www.raycountymo.com

Ray County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,158. [1] Its county seat is Richmond. [2] The county was organized November 16, 1820, and named for John Ray, a Missouri state legislator and member of the first state Constitutional Convention. [3]

Contents

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 569 square miles (1,470 km2) is land and 5.4 square miles (14 km2) (0.9%) is water. [4]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1830 2,657—
1840 6,553146.6%
1850 10,37358.3%
1860 14,09235.9%
1870 18,70032.7%
1880 20,1908.0%
1890 24,21519.9%
1900 24,8052.4%
1910 21,451−13.5%
1920 20,508−4.4%
1930 19,846−3.2%
1940 18,584−6.4%
1950 15,932−14.3%
1960 16,0750.9%
1970 17,5999.5%
1980 21,37821.5%
1990 21,9712.8%
2000 23,3546.3%
2010 23,4940.6%
2020 23,158−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]
1790-1960 [6] 1900-1990 [7]
1990-2000 [8] 2010-2015 [9]

As of the census [10] of 2000, there were 23,354 people, 8,743 households, and 6,539 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km2). There were 9,371 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.50% White, 1.46% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Approximately 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.6% were of American, 23.3% German, 11.5% English and 10.3% Irish ancestry.

There were 8,743 households, out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.10% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.50% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,886, and the median income for a family was $49,192. Males had a median income of $36,815 versus $21,684 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,685. About 5.30% of families and 6.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.00% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Ray County Racial Composition [11]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (NH)20,89390.22%
Black or African American (NH)2271%
Native American (NH)1330.57%
Asian (NH)760.33%
Pacific Islander (NH)80.04%
Other/Mixed (NH)1,2415.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5802.5%

Education

School districts including any part of the county, no matter how slight, include: [12]

Public schools

Public libraries

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

Notable people

Law, government and politics

Government

On January 1, 2025, the Ray County Jail was closed after newly elected Sheriff Gary Blackwell, due to "safety and security concerns." [14] [15] Inmates where sent to facilities in neighboring Harrison and Lafayette counties, as well as the Daviess-Dekalb Regional Jail. [14]

Politics

Local

Politics at the local level in Ray County are now evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, with Republicans making major gains in the past four election cycles, going from no representation before 2011 to now holding half of the county offices.

Ray County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Kent Wollard Democratic
Circuit Clerk Carolyne Conner Democratic
County Clerk Glenda Powell Republican
Collector Julie Chowning Democratic
Commissioner
(presiding)		 Gary Wilhite Republican
Commissioner
(district 1)		 Allen Dale Democratic
Commissioner
(district 2)		 Jerry Bishop Republican
Coroner Bart Willem Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Camille Johnston Republican
Public Administrator Shannon Wollard Republican
Recorder Shirley O’Dell Democratic
Sheriff Gary Blackwell Republican
Surveyor Thomas Sisco Democratic
Treasurer Melissa Holloway Independent

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2024 72.05%8,25625.67% 2,9422.28% 261
2020 68.93%7,96428.38% 3,2792.68% 310
2016 52.51%5,68643.58% 4,7193.91% 423
2012 41.26% 4,25255.53%5,7223.21% 331
2008 35.73% 3,89961.13%6,6703.14% 343
2004 47.08% 5,07351.33%5,5311.59% 172
2000 41.75% 4,04555.81%5,4072.44% 237
1996 28.31% 2,47569.26%6,0552.43% 212
1992 37.6% 3,57862.4%5,937N/A
1988 56.26%4,85943.01% 3,7140.73% 63

The northwest corner of Ray County is a part of Missouri's 8th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently represented by Jim Neely (R-Cameron).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 8 — Ray County (2016)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican James W. (Jim) Neely1,294100.00%+32.60
Missouri House of Representatives — District 8 — Ray County (2014)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican James W. (Jim) Neely54867.40%+12.22
Democratic Ted Rights26532.60%−12.22
Missouri House of Representatives — District 8 — Ray County (2012)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican James W. (Jim) Neely78855.18%
Democratic James T. (Jim) Crenshaw64044.82%

Most of Ray County is a part of Missouri's 39th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently represented by Joe Don McGaugh (R-Carrollton).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 39 — Ray County (2016)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Joe Don McGaugh7,741100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 39 — Ray County (2014)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Joe Don McGaugh4,583100.00%+50.64
Missouri House of Representatives — District 39 — Ray County (2012)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Joe Don McGaugh4,17649.36%
Democratic Will Talbert4,28550.64%

All of Ray County is a part of Missouri's 21st District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg).

Missouri Senate — District 21 — Ray County (2016)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Denny Hoskins6,40861.80%+4.37
Democratic ElGene Ver Dught3,34632.27%−4.99
Libertarian Bill Wayne6155.93%+0.62
Missouri Senate — District 21 — Ray County (2012)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican David Pearce5,67957.43%
Democratic ElGene Ver Dught3,68437.26%
Libertarian Steven Hedrick5255.31%

Federal

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Ray County (2016)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Roy Blunt5,41550.10%+11.60
Democratic Jason Kander4,72543.71%−9.16
Libertarian Jonathan Dine3903.61%−5.02
Green Johnathan McFarland1191.10%+1.10
Constitution Fred Ryman1591.47%+1.47
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Ray County (2012)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Todd Akin3,96038.50%
Democratic Claire McCaskill5,43952.87%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine8888.63%

All of Ray County is included in Missouri's 5th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) in the United States House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 5th Congressional District — Ray County (2016)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Emanuel Cleaver4,39441.10%+1.71
Republican Jacob Turk5,89555.14%−0.42
Libertarian Roy Welborn4023.76%−1.29
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 5th Congressional District — Ray County (2014)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Emanuel Cleaver2,50639.39%−7.66
Republican Jacob Turk3,53555.56%+6.16
Libertarian Roy Welborn3215.05%+1.50
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 5th Congressional District — Ray County (2012)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Emanuel Cleaver4,77847.05%
Republican Jacob Turk5,01749.40%
Libertarian Randy Langkraehr3613.55
United States presidential election results for Ray County, Missouri [16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1888 1,79635.17%3,18162.29%1302.55%
1892 1,64332.29%3,25063.86%1963.85%
1896 2,00333.31%3,94565.60%661.10%
1900 2,00435.02%3,63163.46%871.52%
1904 1,79238.86%2,74459.51%751.63%
1908 1,91437.74%3,04360.00%1152.27%
1912 1,19224.18%3,04261.70%69614.12%
1916 1,71833.28%3,38065.47%651.26%
1920 3,22839.53%4,86559.58%720.88%
1924 2,75334.24%4,98962.04%2993.72%
1928 3,28041.70%4,57058.10%160.20%
1932 1,70621.74%6,08877.59%520.66%
1936 2,80530.74%6,30069.05%190.21%
1940 3,39936.94%5,78662.88%160.17%
1944 3,09440.57%4,52159.28%120.16%
1948 2,10230.30%4,82669.57%90.13%
1952 3,34940.64%4,86959.09%220.27%
1956 3,04139.61%4,63660.39%00.00%
1960 3,54243.69%4,56556.31%00.00%
1964 1,73425.05%5,18974.95%00.00%
1968 2,58735.90%3,54149.14%1,07814.96%
1972 4,20559.65%2,84440.35%00.00%
1976 2,85333.72%5,53565.42%730.86%
1980 4,06445.81%4,51850.93%2893.26%
1984 4,87555.06%3,97944.94%00.00%
1988 3,76343.44%4,87956.33%200.23%
1992 2,56326.64%4,45746.33%2,60027.03%
1996 2,88432.82%4,71453.65%1,18913.53%
2000 4,51746.34%4,97050.99%2602.67%
2004 5,67352.59%5,03446.66%810.75%
2008 5,59350.60%5,24147.42%2191.98%
2012 5,81556.09%4,27541.24%2772.67%
2016 7,10464.91%3,09028.23%7516.86%
2020 8,34571.48%3,10926.63%2211.89%
2024 8,60273.53%2,92725.02%1701.45%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Eaton, David Wolfe (1917). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp.  344.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 29, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  10. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  11. ↑ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ray County, Missouri".
  12. ↑ Geography Division (January 12, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Ray County, MO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved June 8, 2025. - Text list
  13. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Ray County Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Sheriff closes Ray County, Missouri jail due to deteriorating conditions". FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV. January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ Godding, Chloe (January 2, 2025). "Ray County Jail closes due to unsafe conditions, sheriff says". KMBC. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  16. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 26, 2018.

39°21′N93°59′W / 39.35°N 93.99°W / 39.35; -93.99

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