Nixa, Missouri

Nixa is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 23,257. It is a principal city, and the second-largest city in the Springfield, Missouri metropolitan area.

History

thumb|Flag of Nixa in use from 2017 to 2023

The area was first settled by farmers who located their farms along the wooded streams near present-day Nixa. The area became a crossroads, as it was a half-day ride with a team of horses from Springfield.

An early resident, Nicholas A. Inman, was a blacksmith from Tennessee, who set up a shop in 1852. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The modern city rests on and around seven hills. It sits six miles south of Springfield, six miles west of Ozark, eight miles north of Highlandville and eight miles east of Clever.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Nixa city, Missouri – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|11,697

|17,625

|style='background: #ffffe6; |20,228

|96.48%

|92.66%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |86.98%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|56

|167

|style='background: #ffffe6; |258

|0.46%

|0.88%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.11%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|43

|114

|style='background: #ffffe6; |129

|0.35%

|0.60%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.55%

|Asian alone (NH)

|50

|152

|style='background: #ffffe6; |269

|0.41%

|0.80%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.16%

|Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian alone (NH)

|11

|style='background: #ffffe6; |33

|0.02%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.14%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |59

|0.06%

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.25%

|Mixed or multiracial (NH)

|116

|355

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,401

|0.96%

|1.87%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.02%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|153

|595

|style='background: #ffffe6; |880

|1.26%

|3.13%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.78%

|Total

|12,124

|19,022

|style='background: #ffffe6; |23,257

|100.00%

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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Nixa had a population of 23,257, 8,991 households, and 5,899 families.

The median age was 36.9 years; 26.7% of residents were under 18 and 16.8% were 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.4 males age 18 and over.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 20,540 || 88.3%

| Black or African American || 262 || 1.1%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 151 || 0.6%

| Asian || 277 || 1.2%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 33 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 293 || 1.3%

| Two or more races || 1,701 || 7.3%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 880 || 3.8%

2016–2020 American Community Survey

The 2016-2020 five-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $63,176 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,286) and the median family income was $69,874 (+/- $4,707). Males had a median income of $41,770 (+/- $3,651) versus $26,480 (+/- $3,003) for females. The median income for those above 16 was $35,059 (+/- $3,052). About 6.1% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under 18 and 6.9% of those 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 19,022 people, 7,264 households, and 5,280 families lived in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.9% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.1% of the population.

Of the 7,264 households, 41.6% had children under 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.3% were not families. About 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 34.2 years; 28.8% of residents were under 18; 7.2% were between 18 and 24; 30.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 US Census, The solar farm has 33,288 solar panels located on 72 acres and provides an estimated 9% of the city's power needs. Former Sen. Jay Wasson owns the land on which the solar farm is being built. The farm has a life expectancy of 25 years.

Politics

Nixa is part of Missouri's 7th congressional district.

A petition was submitted in June 2021 to set a recall election for Mayor Brian Steele. The Christian County Clerk certified enough valid signatures to trigger the recall election on November 2, 2021. The petition claimed that Steele should be recalled for abuse of emergency powers by enacting a mandatory mask mandate and other restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have since expired. The vote failed, with 75% of the vote going in favor of Steele.

Annual Sucker Day

Finis Gold, mayor of Nixa, a barber and local American Legion commander, started the annual Nixa Sucker Day in 1957. It has been a longstanding tradition. Locals often close up shop or skip school for the day to go "grabbin’ for suckers". The fish are then frozen until enough are available for a big fish fry. The event is held annually during May. It is a family-friendly event held on Nixa's Main Street, with live entertainment and local crafts. Sucker fish and other kinds of food are sold by vendors. Proceeds from Sucker Day activities help fund local causes such as scholarships for graduates from Nixa High School, Project Graduation, and Nixa JROTC.

Notable people

William F. Austin, CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies
Dean Deetz, professional baseball pitcher
Courtney Frerichs, American middle-distance runner and Olympian
Jim Kreider served as speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives
David Krol, professional bowler, winner of the 2026 USBC Masters
Mickey Owen, professional baseball player and coach
Chase Allen. former NFL player, current UFL player

In popular culture

In the Robert Ludlum novels and films (fiction), Nixa is the birthplace of Jason Bourne/David Webb. The Bourne Supremacy revealed that Bourne's real name was David Webb and that he was born in Nixa, Missouri.

Several streets in a residential neighborhood northeast of downtown are named for performers on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee, including Nixa native Slim Wilson. They include Slim Wilson Boulevard, Red Foley Court, Zed Tennis Street, Bill Ring Court, Speedy Haworth Court, and Ozark Jubilee Drive. M

A 2013 episode of the Investigation Discovery television series Beauty Queen Murder featured a murder in Nixa. The 1985 death of Jackie Johns was not solved until 2010, when DNA evidence proved that fellow Nixa resident Gerald Carnahan had raped and murdered the young woman.