Buchanan County, Missouri
Buchanan County | |
|---|---|
 Location within the U.S. state of Missouri | |
 Missouri's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 39°40′N 94°49′W / 39.67°N 94.81°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Missouri |
| Founded | December 31, 1838 |
| Named for | U.S. Senator, later President James Buchanan in 1839 |
| Seat | St. Joseph |
| Largest city | St. Joseph |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 85,998 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Website | www |
Buchanan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 85,998. Its county seat is Saint Joseph6. The county was originally named Roberts County, after settler Hiram Roberts, renamed in 1839 for U.S. Senator, later President James Buchanan. The county along with Andrew and DeKalb counties in Missouri and Doniphan County, Kansas is included in the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 122,306 in 2006.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,074 km² (415 mi²). 1,061 km² (410 mi²) of it is land and 13 km² (5 mi²) of it (1.17%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Andrew County (north)
- DeKalb County (northeast)
- Clinton County (east)
- Platte County (south)
- Atchison County, Kansas (southwest)
- Doniphan County, Kansas (northwest)
Major highways
- Interstate 29
- Interstate 229
- U.S. Route 36
- U.S. Route 59
- U.S. Route 71
- U.S. Route 169
- Missouri Route 6
- Missouri Route 31
- Missouri Route 116
- Missouri Route 371
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 85,998 people, 33,557 households, and 21,912 families residing in the county. The population density was 81/km² (210/mi²). There were 36,574 housing units at an average density of 34/km² (89/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.73% White, 4.36% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 2.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 33,557 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.30% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.70% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.50% 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 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,704, and the median income for a family was $42,408. Males had a median income of $31,697 versus $21,827 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,882. About 8.50% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.00% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.
