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McDonald County, Missouri | |
|---|---|
 The New McDonald County courthouse in Pineville  TheOld McDonald County Courthouse in Pineville | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMissouri | |
| Coordinates:36°37′41″N94°20′37″W / 36.627955°N 94.343716°W /36.627955; -94.343716 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Missouri |
| Founded | March 3, 1849 |
| Named after | Sergeant Alexander McDonald |
| Seat | Pineville |
| Largest city | Noel |
| Area | |
• Total | 539.646 sq mi (1,397.68 km2) |
| • Land | 539.445 sq mi (1,397.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.201 sq mi (0.52 km2) 0.04% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 23,303 |
• Estimate (2024) | 24,054 |
| • Density | 44.599/sq mi (17.220/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 417 |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | mcdonaldcountymo.gov |
McDonald County is acounty located in the southwestern corner of theU.S. state ofMissouri. As of the2020 census, the population was 23,303.[1] and was estimated to be 24,054 in 2024,[2] Itscounty seat isPineville.[3]
The county was organized in 1849 and named for Sergeant Alexander McDonald, a soldier in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[4] The county has three sites on theNational Register of Historic Places, including theOld McDonald County Courthouse and thePowell Bridge.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 539.646 square miles (1,397.68 km2), of which 539.445 square miles (1,397.16 km2) is land and 0.201 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.04%) is water.[5] It is the 71st largest county in Missouri by total area.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2,236 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,008 | 79.2% | |
| 1870 | 3,756 | −6.3% | |
| 1880 | 7,816 | 108.1% | |
| 1890 | 11,283 | 44.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,574 | 20.3% | |
| 1910 | 13,539 | −0.3% | |
| 1920 | 12,690 | −6.3% | |
| 1930 | 13,936 | 9.8% | |
| 1940 | 15,749 | 13.0% | |
| 1950 | 14,144 | −10.2% | |
| 1960 | 11,798 | −16.6% | |
| 1970 | 12,357 | 4.7% | |
| 1980 | 14,917 | 20.7% | |
| 1990 | 16,938 | 13.5% | |
| 2000 | 21,681 | 28.0% | |
| 2010 | 23,083 | 6.5% | |
| 2020 | 23,303 | 1.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 24,054 | [7] | 3.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010–2020[2] | |||
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in McDonald County was $139,937.[12]
As of the 2023American Community Survey, there are 8,512 estimated households in McDonald County with an average of 2.74 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $48,145. Approximately 18.2% of the county's population lives at or below thepoverty line. McDonald County has an estimated 56.6% employment rate, with 13.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 81.3% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (85.1%), Spanish (9.0%), Indo-European (1.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (3.6%), and Other (1.3%).
As of the2020 census, the county had 23,303 people, 8,518 households, and 5,957 families; thepopulation density was 43.2 inhabitants per square mile (16.7/km2), and there were 9,760 housing units at an average density of 18.09 per square mile (7.0/km2).[13]
The median age was 37.8 years; 26.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.5 males age 18 and over.[13]
The racial makeup of the county was 73.4% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian, 3.7% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.5% from some other race, and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 12.1% of the population.[14]
0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 99.9% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 8,518 households in the county, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
Of those 9,760 housing units, 12.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.8% were owner-occupied and 30.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.[13]
McDonald County, Missouri – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
| Race / ethnicity(NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[16] | Pop. 1990[17] | Pop. 2000[18] | Pop. 2010[19] | Pop. 2020[20] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 14,584 (97.77%) | 16,230 (95.82%) | 18,348 (84.63%) | 18,700 (81.01%) | 16,667 (71.52%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2 (0.01%) | 4 (0.02%) | 33 (0.15%) | 127 (0.55%) | 421 (1.81%) |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 192 (1.29%) | 540 (3.19%) | 595 (2.74%) | 599 (2.59%) | 493 (2.12%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 15 (0.10%) | 40 (0.24%) | 27 (0.12%) | 186 (0.81%) | 376 (1.61%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 29 (0.13%) | 255 (1.10%) | 868 (3.72%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 6 (0.04%) | 3 (0.02%) | 10 (0.05%) | 3 (0.01%) | 82 (0.35%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 609 (2.81%) | 626 (2.71%) | 1,578 (6.77%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 118 (0.79%) | 121 (0.71%) | 2,030 (9.36%) | 2,587 (11.21%) | 2,818 (12.09%) |
| Total | 14,917 (100.00%) | 16,938 (100.00%) | 21,681 (100.00%) | 23,083 (100.00%) | 23,303 (100.00%) |
As of the 2023 estimate, there were 23,903 people and 8,512 households residing in the county. There were 9,857 housing units at an average density of 18.27 per square mile (7.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.5% White(74.0% NH White), 2.1% African American, 3.1% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 4.3% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 12.4% of the population.[21]
As of the2010 census, there were 23,083 people, 8,404 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 42.8 inhabitants per square mile (16.5/km2). There were 9,925 housing units at an average density of 18.39 per square mile (7.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.99%White, 0.58%African American, 2.87%Native American, 0.83%Asian, 1.12%Pacific Islander, 6.36% from some other races and 3.25% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 11.21% of the population.
As of the2000 census, there were 21,681 people, 8,113 households, and 5,865 families residing in the county. The population density was 40.0 inhabitants per square mile (15.4/km2). There were 9,287 housing units at an average density of 17.0 per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.66%White, 0.18%African American, 2.88%Native American, %Asian, 0.14%Pacific Islander, 3.70% from some other races and 3.30% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 9.36% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 28.0% were ofAmerican, 11.5%German, 10.5%Irish and 6.6%English.
There were 8,113 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% weremarried couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.90% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,010, and the median income for a family was $31,530. Males had a median income of $23,434 versus $18,157 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,175. About 15.60% of families and 20.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 28.60% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over.
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The present McDonald County R-I School District is the result of consolidations of several county school districts. The first two school districts to consolidate were the Pineville and Anderson school districts. This was the first step in what was a long-range plan to combine all of the remaining high schools in the county with the exception of the Goodman School District which would become a part of the Neosho school system. The plan for the Pineville–Anderson consolidation was approved and the state offered a $50,000 matching grant for the building of a new high school. If the remaining high schools were to have joined, an additional $200,000 in matching grants would have been recurred.
The first consolidated class from Pineville and Anderson was the Class of 1966. David Alumbaugh was a member of that class and remembers it was the class that elected the school mascot as the mustang and the school colors of red and black. There was not a new high school so each town maintained a high school faculty but all activities including athletics were combined. When asked what the mood of the people in Pineville was concerning the school consolidation, Alumbaugh said, "I don't remember it being a great deal; most people considered it inevitable it was going to happen sooner or later." It was something that could not be stopped, according to Larry Warner who taught during the first year (1966) at the Pineville campus and then at the new high school in Anderson its next year. "It was something that was really needed. The faculty at the old Pineville High School was not very good either at the end of their careers or just beginning. The kids got along fine at the new school but it was the parents who fought."
The next school district to consider joining Pineville and Anderson was the Noel School District. Noel Lawmen had a serious concern on where the new high school, which would serve all students, would be located. The proposed site was about a mile east of the city of Anderson at the junction of Highway 76 and then new Highway 71. The Noel patrons wanted a site closer to the center of the county which would be just north of the Indian River Bridge at the city ofLanagan. The Noel School Board sent a letter to theMissouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education calling for a vote of the people of McDonald County on the site but this didn't happen. The reasoning for there not being a countywide vote couldn't be found, but the proposed new high school site had already been approved by the Missouri Department of Education.
Once a school district was asked to be included in the reorganized district the people of the district asked to be included and the people of the reorganized district both voted. What this meant was that the people of Pineville and Anderson could vote in other districts even if that other district's patrons didn't want to come into the reorganized district, they had to. This led to many of the hard feelings that last even today in McDonald County about the school consolidation. With the addition of Noel to the reorganization there were only the high schools of Goodman, Rocky Comfort and Southwest City left. The school district of Goodman decided to join the school district of Neosho. This left Southwest City with its school population of 89 and Rocky Comfort with its high school population of 107 as the only other two schools left in the county. Southwest City, located only miles from theArkansas andOklahoma borders, had no other choice. There were no Missouri schools close to it so it asked and was voted into the reorganized plan. Rocky Comfort is located on the eastern edge of McDonald County and would have been much closer to reorganize with the town of Wheaton in Barry County. Rocky Comfort ended up joining the reorganization of the McDonald County schools.
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TheRepublican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in McDonald County. Republicans hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.
| McDonald County, Missouri | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Elected countywide officials | |||
| Assessor | Sue Ann Stokes | Republican | |
| Circuit Clerk | Tanya Lewis | Republican | |
| County Clerk | Kimberly Bell | Republican | |
| Collector | Brenda Gordon | Republican | |
| Commissioner (presiding) | Bryan Hall | Republican | |
| Commissioner (district 1) | Jamey Cope | Republican | |
| Commissioner (district 2) | Rick Lett | Republican | |
| Coroner | BJ Goodwin | Republican | |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Maleia Cheney | Republican | |
| Public Administrator | Tonya Garvin | Republican | |
| Recorder | Michelle Barker | Republican | |
| Sheriff | Robert Evenson | Republican | |
| Surveyor | Travis Green | Republican | |
| Treasurer | Joye Helm | Republican | |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 83.25%7,668 | 14.42%1,328 | 2.34%215 |
| 2020 | 81.69%7,325 | 16.04%1,438 | 2.27%204 |
| 2016 | 72.55%5,915 | 22.73%1,853 | 4.72%385 |
| 2012 | 62.26%4,823 | 33.10%2,564 | 4.64%359 |
| 2008 | 59.74%4,766 | 36.63%2,922 | 3.63%290 |
| 2004 | 73.36%5,622 | 24.71%1,894 | 1.94%148 |
| 2000 | 64.92%4,216 | 32.14%2,087 | 2.94%191 |
| 1996 | 54.46%3,297 | 41.89%2,536 | 3.65%221 |
All of McDonald County is a part of Missouri's 159th district in theMissouri House of Representatives and is represented by Bill Lant (R-Pineville).
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Lant | 7,290 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Lant | 3,346 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Lant | 6,621 | 100.00% | ||
All of McDonald County is a part of Missouri's 29th District and is currently represented in theMissouri Senate by David Sater (R-Cassville).
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Sater | 7,176 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Sater | 6,575 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Roy Blunt | 5,812 | 71.10% | +11.12 | |
| Democratic | Jason Kander | 1,793 | 21.94% | −12.04 | |
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 258 | 3.16% | −2.88 | |
| Constitution | Fred Ryman | 170 | 2.08% | +2.08 | |
| Green | Johnathan McFarland | 141 | 1.72% | +1.72 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Todd Akin | 4,667 | 59.98% | ||
| Democratic | Claire McCaskill | 2,644 | 33.98% | ||
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 470 | 6.04% | ||
All of McDonald County is included inMissouri's 7th congressional district and is represented byBilly Long (R-Springfield) in theU.S. House of Representatives.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Billy Long | 6,271 | 77.92% | +0.42 | |
| Democratic | Genevieve Williams | 1,428 | 17.74% | −0.14 | |
| Libertarian | Benjamin T. Brixey | 349 | 4.34% | −0.28 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Billy Long | 2,970 | 77.50% | +6.96 | |
| Democratic | Jim Evans | 685 | 17.88% | −6.89 | |
| Libertarian | Kevin Craig | 177 | 4.62% | −0.07 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Billy Long | 5,363 | 70.54% | ||
| Democratic | Jim Evans | 1,883 | 24.77% | ||
| Libertarian | Kevin Craig | 357 | 4.69% | ||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 802 | 37.99% | 1,069 | 50.64% | 240 | 11.37% |
| 1892 | 835 | 37.95% | 1,026 | 46.64% | 339 | 15.41% |
| 1896 | 998 | 37.14% | 1,676 | 62.37% | 13 | 0.48% |
| 1900 | 1,138 | 42.40% | 1,469 | 54.73% | 77 | 2.87% |
| 1904 | 1,266 | 47.15% | 1,269 | 47.26% | 150 | 5.59% |
| 1908 | 1,333 | 48.49% | 1,306 | 47.51% | 110 | 4.00% |
| 1912 | 916 | 31.82% | 1,326 | 46.06% | 637 | 22.13% |
| 1916 | 1,414 | 44.59% | 1,631 | 51.43% | 126 | 3.97% |
| 1920 | 2,921 | 55.21% | 2,242 | 42.37% | 128 | 2.42% |
| 1924 | 2,374 | 48.29% | 2,301 | 46.81% | 241 | 4.90% |
| 1928 | 3,684 | 64.79% | 1,986 | 34.93% | 16 | 0.28% |
| 1932 | 2,464 | 38.11% | 3,943 | 60.99% | 58 | 0.90% |
| 1936 | 3,312 | 48.57% | 3,503 | 51.37% | 4 | 0.06% |
| 1940 | 4,063 | 54.95% | 3,312 | 44.79% | 19 | 0.26% |
| 1944 | 3,520 | 58.12% | 2,523 | 41.66% | 13 | 0.21% |
| 1948 | 2,979 | 50.36% | 2,925 | 49.45% | 11 | 0.19% |
| 1952 | 4,121 | 61.90% | 2,525 | 37.93% | 11 | 0.17% |
| 1956 | 3,646 | 56.94% | 2,757 | 43.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 3,955 | 61.31% | 2,496 | 38.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 3,055 | 46.69% | 3,488 | 53.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,025 | 51.32% | 2,188 | 37.12% | 681 | 11.55% |
| 1972 | 4,339 | 70.83% | 1,787 | 29.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,949 | 48.28% | 3,111 | 50.93% | 48 | 0.79% |
| 1980 | 4,114 | 60.65% | 2,485 | 36.64% | 184 | 2.71% |
| 1984 | 4,521 | 68.19% | 2,109 | 31.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 3,812 | 61.95% | 2,299 | 37.36% | 42 | 0.68% |
| 1992 | 3,010 | 43.78% | 2,281 | 33.18% | 1,584 | 23.04% |
| 1996 | 3,008 | 50.36% | 1,980 | 33.15% | 985 | 16.49% |
| 2000 | 4,460 | 68.31% | 1,866 | 28.58% | 203 | 3.11% |
| 2004 | 5,443 | 70.46% | 2,215 | 28.67% | 67 | 0.87% |
| 2008 | 5,499 | 67.60% | 2,454 | 30.17% | 182 | 2.24% |
| 2012 | 5,694 | 72.84% | 1,920 | 24.56% | 203 | 2.60% |
| 2016 | 6,599 | 79.49% | 1,329 | 16.01% | 374 | 4.50% |
| 2020 | 7,465 | 82.37% | 1,439 | 15.88% | 159 | 1.75% |
| 2024 | 7,843 | 83.76% | 1,423 | 15.20% | 98 | 1.05% |
Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, McDonald County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections.George W. Bush carried McDonald County in2000 and2004 by more than two-to-one margins, and like many other rural and exurban counties throughout Missouri, McDonald County strongly favoredJohn McCain overBarack Obama in2008. Despite the strength of Republicans at the presidential level here, DemocratJimmy Carter did manage to carry McDonald County in1976, making it the only county in Southwest Missouri to have been won by any Democrat in the past 50 years.
Like most areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in McDonald County traditionally adhere to socially and culturallyconservative principles which tend to strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted ona constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed McDonald County with 84.42 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to bansame-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted ona constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in McDonald County with 57.02 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 approveembryonic stem cell research. Despite McDonald County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancingpopulist causes like increasing theminimum 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 McDonald County with 76.37 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.
FormerGovernorMike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 1,285, than any candidate from either party in McDonald County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Primaries.
Places adjacent to McDonald County, Missouri | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofMcDonald County, Missouri,United States | ||
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| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
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