Linn County, Missouri

Linn County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,874. Its county seat is Linneus. The county was organized January 1, 1837, and named after U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Missouri.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Sullivan County (north)
Adair County (northeast)
Macon County (east)
Chariton County (south)
Livingston County (west)
Grundy County (northwest)

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,874. The median age was 43.1 years, 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18, and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.

There were 5,065 households in the county, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|15,181

|13,645

|13,406

|12,297

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,027

|97.97%

|98.27%

|97.47%

|96.36%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |92.87%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|155

|107

|82

|85

|style='background: #ffffe6; |67

|1.00%

|0.77%

|0.60%

|0.67%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.56%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|19

|22

|47

|26

|style='background: #ffffe6; |31

|0.12%

|0.16%

|0.34%

|0.20%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.26%

|Asian alone (NH)

|20

|13

|19

|26

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22

|0.13%

|0.09%

|0.14%

|0.20%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6

|0.00%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.05%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |25

|0.03%

|0.01%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.21%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|95

|130

|style='background: #ffffe6; |407

|0.69%

|1.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.43%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|115

|94

|104

|193

|style='background: #ffffe6; |289

|0.74%

|0.68%

|0.76%

|1.51%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.43%

|Total

|15,495

|13,885

|13,754

|12,761

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,874

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,754 people, 5,697 households and 3,760 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,554 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.98% White, 0.60% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.15% from other races and 0.76% from two or more races. Approximately 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,697 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.60% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.00% were non-families. 30.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64 and 20.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,242, and the median income for a family was $36,134. Males had a median income of $25,635 versus $18,820 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,378. About 11.30% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

School districts include:

Brookfield R-III School District – Brookfield
Brookfield Elementary School (PK-04)
Brookfield Middle School (05-08)
Brookfield High School (09-12)
Bucklin R-II School District – Bucklin
Bucklin Elementary School (PK-06)
Bucklin High School (07-12)
Linn County R-1 School District – Purdin
Linn County Elementary School (PK-05)
Linn County High School (06-12)
Marceline R-V School District – Marceline
Walt Disney Elementary School (K-05)
Marceline Middle School (06-08)
Marceline High School (09-12)
Meadville R-IV School District – Meadville
Meadville Elementary School (K-06)
Meadville High School (07-12)

Private schools

Father McCartan Memorial School – Marceline (K-09) – Roman Catholic
Locust Creek Mennonite School – Laclede (02-09) – Mennonite

Public libraries

Brookfield Public Library
Marceline Carnegie Library

Communities

Cities and towns

Brookfield
Browning (partly in Sullivan County)
Bucklin
Laclede
Linneus (county seat)
Marceline
Meadville
Purdin

Census-designated place

St. Catherine

Unincorporated communities

Bear Branch
Enterprise
Eversonville
Forker
Fountain Grove
Garner
Grantsville
Haseville
Hecla
Leverton
Lowell
New Boston
North Salem
Sedgwick
Shafter
Shelby

Townships

Baker
Benton
Brookfield
Bucklin
Clay
Enterprise
Grantsville
Jackson
Jefferson
Locust Creek
Marceline
North Salem
Parson Creek
Yellow Creek

Notable people

Doris Akers, gospel singer and composer, was born in Brookfield and resided there until age five.
Gene Bartow, Hall of Fame college basketball coach and NBA executive.
Walt Disney, lived on a farm near Marceline as a young boy.
John J. Pershing, four-star General of the Armies, was born in Laclede.
Jeff Roe, Republican political consultant, born in Brookfield

Politics

Local

State

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

! Republican

! Democratic

! Third Parties

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2024

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|76.26% 4,285

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|21.50% 1,208

|align="center" |2.24% 126

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2020

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|75.12% 4,275

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|22.98% 1,308

|align="center" |1.90% 108

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2016

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|61.38% 3,414

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|35.71% 1,986

|align="center" |2.91% 162

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2012

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|44.43% 2,456

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|52.24% 2,888

|align="center" |3.33% 184

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2008

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|40.10% 2,371

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|57.56% 3,403

|align="center" |2.33% 138

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2004

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|55.11% 3,252

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|43.86% 2,588

|align="center" |1.04% 61

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff "|2000

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|48.02% 2,869

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|50.26% 3,003

|align="center" |1.72% 103

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff "|1996

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|30.31% 1,783

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|67.44% 3,967

|align="center" |2.24% 132

Linn County is split between two districts in Missouri's House of Representatives, both of which are represented by Republicans.

District 6 — Tim Remole (R-Excello). Consists of a thin slice of the eastern part of the county.

District 7 — Rusty Black (R-Chillicothe). Consists of the central and western parts of the county.

All of Linn County is a part of Missouri's 18th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Brian Munzingler (R-Williamstown).

Federal

All of Linn County is included in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and is currently represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture