Peculiar is a city in Cass County, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States. The population was 5,621 at the 2020 census. The town motto is "Where the 'odds' are with you."
History
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. On July 29, 1868, the county surveyor, Robert Cass, platted Peculiar and was filed as "The Town of Peculiar".
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".
Peculiar incorporated as a village in the 1890s and became a fourth class city of the state of Missouri in 1953.
Government
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.
Geography
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.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
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.
93.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.9% lived in rural areas.
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. of 2010, there were 4,608 people, 1,704 households, and 1,268 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,816 housing units at an average density of . 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 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
As of the census This is true for the entire municipality.
Peculiar has a public library, the Peculiar Branch library.
Metropolitan Community College has the Raymore-Peculiar school district area in its service area, but not its in-district taxation area.
Media
Music
In 2022, folksinger Willi Carlisle created an album titled Peculiar, Missouri; referring to the town.
Literature
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
- Pete Brewster, football end, coach, and collegiate football and basketball player
- Carson Coffman, AFL player for the Spokane Shock
- Chase Coffman, NFL tight end for the Indianapolis Colts
- Paul Coffman, NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings
- Brutus Hamilton, decathlete and track and field coach
- Tonya Knight, bodybuilder
- Austin Petersen, writer, political activist, commentator, and broadcaster