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Peculiar, Missouri

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Peculiar, Missouri
City
Sign directing travelers to Peculiar
Sign directing travelers to Peculiar
Location of Peculiar, Missouri
Location of Peculiar, Missouri
Coordinates: 38°43′09″N 94°27′31″W / 38.71917°N 94.45861°W / 38.71917; -94.45861[1]
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountyCass
Area
[2]
 • Total
9.11 sq mi (23.59 km2)
 • Land9.07 sq mi (23.48 km2)
 • Water0.042 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation
[1]
997 ft (304 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
5,621
 • Density620.1/sq mi (239.41/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
64078
Area codes816, 975
FIPS code29-56756[3]
GNIS feature ID2396171[1]
Websitewww.cityofpeculiar.com

Peculiar is a city in Cass County, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States.[4] The population was 5,621 at the 2020 census. The town motto is "Where the 'odds' are with you."

History

[edit]

Early settlers of the town came to Western Missouri by riverboat from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Peculiar also had families coming from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.[5] On July 29, 1868, the county surveyor, Robert Cass, platted Peculiar and was filed as "The Town of Peculiar".[5]

There are at least two versions of the story on how Peculiar received its name. The first involves the community's first postmaster, Edgar Thomson. His first choice for a town name, "Excelsior," was rejected because it already existed in Atchison County, Missouri. Several other choices were also rejected. The story goes that the annoyed Thomson wrote to the postmaster general himself to complain saying, "We don't care what name you give us so long as it is sort of 'peculiar'." Thomson submitted the name "Peculiar", and the name was approved. The post office was established on June 22, 1868.[6]

In an alternate version, according to Missouri folklorist Margot Ford McMillen, early settlers were searching for a location to farm. As they cleared a small rise and looked below, one remarked, "Well that's peculiar! It's the very place I saw in a vision back in Connecticut." The land was purchased and eventually a village sprang up on it, which was named "Peculiar".[7]

Peculiar incorporated as a village in the 1890s and became a fourth class city of the state of Missouri in 1953.[5]

The city celebrated its centenary in July 1968. The celebrations continued for nine days and included an antique show and sale, a Lions Club championship rodeo, and an open class Western horse show.[8]

In 2024, the city blocked the Harper Road Technology Park, a proposed $1.5 billion, 504-acre data center project by Diode Ventures, after pushback from local residents.[9] In June 2026, mayor John Shatto explained the debate over the data center created more community engagement with local government. "That was our turning point," he said. "The town banded together, stuck together."[10]

Government

[edit]

Peculiar is governed by a mayor–council government system. The mayor is elected to a two-year term. The town council, called the board of aldermen, is composed of six members. Two members are elected from each of the three wards in the city. One alderman is elected each year for each ward to serve a two-year term.[11]

Geography

[edit]

Peculiar is located adjacent to U.S. Route 71 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Old Peculiar lies one mile to the east along the banks of the East Fork East Branch South Grand River.[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.45 square miles (21.89 km2), of which 8.41 square miles (21.78 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water.[13]

Climate

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900104—
191020597.1%
192028338.0%
1930227−19.8%
1940206−9.3%
195026729.6%
196045871.5%
197070553.9%
19801,571122.8%
19901,77713.1%
20002,60446.5%
20104,60877.0%
20205,62122.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

Racial and ethnic composition

[edit]
Peculiar city, 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 2000[15] Pop 2010[16] Pop 2020[17] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 2,502 4,286 4,807 96.08% 93.01% 85.52%
Black or African American alone (NH) 6 91 117 0.23% 1.97% 2.08%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 11 18 33 0.42% 0.39% 0.59%
Asian alone (NH) 9 12 30 0.35% 0.26% 0.53%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 6 3 0.08% 0.13% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 0 7 14 0.00% 0.15% 0.25%
Mixed-race or multiracial (NH) 36 63 375 1.38% 1.37% 6.67%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 38 125 242 1.46% 2.71% 4.31%
Total 2,604 4,608 5,621 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, Peculiar had a population of 5,621. The median age was 35.9 years. 26.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.8 males age 18 and over.[18][19]

93.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.9% lived in rural areas.[20]

There were 2,138 households in Peculiar, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.7% were married-couple households, 13.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[18]

There were 2,226 housing units, of which 4.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%.[18]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[19]
RaceNumberPercent
White4,88486.9%
Black or African American1212.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native360.6%
Asian300.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander30.1%
Some other race631.1%
Two or more races4848.6%

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[21] of 2010, there were 4,608 people, 1,704 households, and 1,268 families living in the city. The population density was 547.9 inhabitants per square mile (211.5/km2). There were 1,816 housing units at an average density of 215.9 per square mile (83.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.9% White, 2.0% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.7% of the population.

There were 1,704 households, of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12.

The median age in the city was 32.8 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,604 people, 953 households, and 730 families living in the city. The population density was 744.8 inhabitants per square mile (287.6/km2). There were 983 housing units at an average density of 281.2 per square mile (108.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.20% White, 0.27% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.46% of the population.

There were 953 households, out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,769, and the median income for a family was $48,534. Males had a median income of $36,921 versus $27,885 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,104. About 5.7% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

[edit]

Public education in Peculiar is administered by Raymore-Peculiar R-II School District.[22] This is true for the entire municipality.[23]

Peculiar has a public library, the Peculiar Branch library.[24]

Metropolitan Community College has the Raymore-Peculiar school district area in its service area, but not its in-district taxation area.[25]

Media

[edit]

Music

[edit]

In 2022, folksinger Willi Carlisle created an album titled Peculiar, Missouri;[26] referring to the town.

Literature

[edit]

The Jim Butcher short story from within The Dresden Files universe, "AAAA Wizardry," takes place in Peculiar. The story was initially published in The Dresden Files Role-playing Game Volume 2: Our World in 2010, and was re-published in the 2018 Dresden Files short story collection Brief Cases.

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Peculiar, 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. ↑ "Population Data and Maps | MARC". Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "City of Peculiar, Missouri - Official Website".
  6. ↑ 'Indecision leads to Peculiar', by Stan Durnin, Linn's Stamp News, n.d.
  7. ↑ McMillen, Margot Ford (1994). Paris, Tightwad and Peculiar: Missouri Place Names. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. p. 6. ISBN 0-8262-0972-6.
  8. ↑ Centennial booklet, 1968
  9. ↑ say, Dan Swinhoe Have your (July 22, 2026). "Peculiar officials in Missouri remove data centers from ordinance, blocking $1.5bn Diode project". www.datacenterdynamics.com. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ Higgins, Chris (June 23, 2026). "This Missouri town blocked data centers years before boom. They don't regret it". Kansas City Star.
  11. ↑ History of Peculiar Archived February 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
  12. ↑ Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 1st ed. 1998, p.34 ISBN 0899332242
  13. ↑ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Peculiar city, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Peculiar city, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Peculiar city, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
  18. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Homepage". Raymore-Peculiar R-Ii School District. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  23. ↑ Geography Division (January 12, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Cass County, MO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2025. - Text list
  24. ↑ "Missouri Public Libraries". PublicLibraries.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  25. ↑ "MCC SERVICE AREAS" (PDF). Metropolitan Community College. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  26. ↑ Carlisle, Willi. "Willi Carlisle". Willi Carlisle. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
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