Newton County, Missouri

Newton County, Missouri
Location in the state of Missouri
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded	December 15, 1838
Seat	Neosho
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	624.77 sq mi (1,618 km²) 626.42 sq mi (1,622 km²) 0.24.4 sq mi (1 km²), 0.04%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	58,114 84/sq mi (32.41/km²)

Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is included in the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 58,114 at the 2010 census. It is the eighteen most populous county in Missouri. The county was organized in 1838 and named for John Newton, hero of the Revolutionary War. Its county seat is Neosho.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 624.77 square miles (1,618.1 km²), of which 626.42 square miles (1,622.4 km²) (or 99.96%) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km²) (or 0.04%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Jasper County (north)
• Lawrence County (northeast)
• Barry County (southeast)
• McDonald County (south)
• Ottawa County, Oklahoma (west)
• Cherokee County, Kansas (northwest)

Entrance of Newton Co. Courthouse

View of the Newton Co. Courthouse

Water

Lakes

Total lake area: 2,573 acres (10.4 km²)

• Newtonia Lake
• Thurman Lake

Rivers and creeks

Total river area: 361 acres (1.5 km²); length: 70 miles (110 km)

Baynham Branch Buffalo Creek Center Creek Clear Creek Dry Valley Branch

Elm Spring Creek Five Mile Creek Harrison Creek Hickory Creek Clear Creek

Indian Creek Shoal Creek Jacobs Creek Lost Creek Mason Spring Creek

Middle Creek Rock Creek Silver Creek Warren Creek Willow Creek

Major highways

• Interstate 44
• U.S. Route 60
• U.S. Route 71, Future Interstate 49
• Route 43
• Route 59
• Route 86
• Route 175

National protected area

• George Washington Carver National Monument

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	8,790		—
1850	4,268		−51.4%
1860	9,319		118.3%
1870	12,821		37.6%
1880	18,947		47.8%
1890	22,108		16.7%
1900	27,001		22.1%
1910	27,136		0.5%
1920	24,886		−8.3%
1930	26,959		8.3%
1940	29,039		7.7%
1950	28,240		−2.8%
1960	30,093		6.6%
1970	32,901		9.3%
1980	40,555		23.3%
1990	44,445		9.6%
2000	52,636		18.4%
2010	58,114		10.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 52,636 people, 20,140 households, and 14,742 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile (33.75/km²). There were 21,897 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.26% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 2.23% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. 2.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 20,140 households out of which 33.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.30% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,041, and the median income for a family was $40,616. Males had a median income of $30,057 versus $21,380 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,502. About 8.10% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Diamond Fairview

Granby Joplin

Neosho Seneca

Villages

Cliff Village Dennis Acres Grand Falls Plaza Leawood Loma Linda

Newtonia Redings Mill Ritchey Saginaw Shoal Creek Drive

Shoal Creek Estates Silver Creek Stark City Stella Wentworth

Other localities

Hornet Monark Springs

Racine Spring City

Tipton Ford Wanda

Townships

• Neosho Township Pop: 18,039
• Shoal Creek Township Pop: 12,829
• Granby Township Pop: 4,595
• Five mile Township Pop: 4,073
• Marion Township Pop: 3,787
• Seneca Township Pop: 3,474
• West Benton Township Pop: 2,547
• Buffalo Township Pop: 2,149
• Franklin Township Pop: 1,795
• Dayton Township Pop: 1,605
• Van Buren Township Pop: 1,374
• Newtonia Township Pop: 788
• Benton Township Pop: 681
• Berwick Township Pop: 378

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Newton County, Missouri

External links

• Newton County Genealogy
• Newton County Historical Society - Official website
• Newton County Tourism Council - Official website
• Rootsweb, Newton County, Missouri
• Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Newton County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books