Ray County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,158. Its county seat is Richmond. The county was organized November 16, 1820, and named for John Ray, a Missouri state legislator and member of the first state Constitutional Convention.

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

  • Caldwell County (north)
  • Carroll County (east)
  • Lafayette County (south)
  • Jackson County (southwest)
  • Clay County (west)
  • Clinton County (northwest)

Major highways

  • 20px Route 10
  • 20px Route 13
  • 20px Route 210

National protected area

  • Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 23,158. The median age was 42.3 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.3 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 91.2% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.

25.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 74.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 9,081 households in the county, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% 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)

|20,864

|21,410

|22,384

|22,338

|style='background: #ffffe6; |20,893

|97.60%

|97.45%

|95.85%

|95.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |90.22%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|313

|296

|340

|265

|style='background: #ffffe6; |227

|1.46%

|1.35%

|1.46%

|1.13%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.98%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|60

|109

|80

|114

|style='background: #ffffe6; |133

|0.28%

|0.50%

|0.34%

|0.49%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.57%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|43

|33

|43

|60

|style='background: #ffffe6; |76

|0.20%

|0.15%

|0.18%

|0.26%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.33%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|x

|x

|1

|15

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8

|x

|x

|0.00%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|4

|4

|13

|3

|style='background: #ffffe6; |53

|0.02%

|0.02%

|0.06%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.23%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|x

|x

|240

|284

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,188

|x

|x

|1.03%

|1.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.13%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|94

|119

|253

|415

|style='background: #ffffe6; |580

|0.44%

|0.54%

|1.08%

|1.77%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.50%

|-

|Total

|21,378

|21,971

|23,354

|23,494

|style='background: #ffffe6; |23,158

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

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

|}

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 23,354 people, 8,743 households, and 6,539 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,371 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.50% White, 1.46% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Approximately 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.6% were of American, 23.3% German, 11.5% English and 10.3% Irish ancestry.

There were 8,743 households, out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.10% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.50% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,886, and the median income for a family was $49,192. Males had a median income of $36,815 versus $21,684 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,685. About 5.30% of families and 6.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.00% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education

School districts including any part of the county, no matter how slight, include:

  • Braymer C-4 School District
  • Excelsior Springs 40 School District
  • Hardin-Central C-2 School District
  • Lawson R-XIV School District
  • Norborne R-VIII School District
  • Orrick R-XI School District
  • Polo R-VII School District
  • Richmond R-XVI School District

Public schools

  • Hardin-Central C-2 School District – Hardin
  • Hardin-Central Elementary School (PK-06)
  • Hardin-Central High School (07-12)
  • Lawson R-XIV School District – Lawson
  • Southwest Elementary School (PK-04)
  • Lawson Middle School (05-08)
  • Lawson High School (09-12)
  • Orrick R-XI School District – Orrick
  • Orrick Elementary School (PK-06)
  • Orrick High School (07-12)
  • Richmond R-XVI School District – Richmond
  • Dear Elementary School (PK-01)
  • Sunrise Elementary School (02-05)
  • Richmond Middle School (06-08)
  • Richmond High School (09-12)

Public libraries

  • Ray County Library

Communities

Cities

  • Camden
  • Crystal Lakes
  • Excelsior Springs (mostly in Clay County)
  • Fleming
  • Hardin
  • Henrietta
  • Lawson (partly in Clay County)
  • Orrick
  • Richmond
  • Wood Heights

Villages

  • Elmira
  • Excelsior Estates (small part in Clay County)
  • Homestead

Census-designated place

  • Rayville
  • Vibbard

Other unincorporated communities

  • Albany
  • Dockery
  • Elkhorn
  • Floyd
  • Georgeville
  • Knoxville
  • Lakeview
  • Millville
  • Morton
  • New Garden
  • Regal
  • Rockingham
  • Russellville
  • Sandals
  • St. Cloud
  • Stet
  • Swanwick
  • Taitsville
  • Tinney Grove

Townships

  • Camden
  • Crooked River
  • Fishing River
  • Grape Grove
  • Knoxville
  • Orrick
  • Polk
  • Richmond

Notable people

  • Robert Ford, outlaw, killer of Jesse James
  • Chad Kilgore, football player
  • Forrest Smith, Missouri's 42nd Governor
  • Gordon Young, cowboy, journalist, novelist

Law, government and politics

Government

On January 1, 2025, the Ray County Jail was closed after newly elected Sheriff Gary Blackwell, due to "safety and security concerns." Inmates were sent to facilities in neighboring Harrison and Lafayette counties, as well as the Daviess-Dekalb Regional Jail.

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See also

  • Battle of Crooked River
  • Mormon War (1838)
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Ray County, Missouri

References

  • Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Ray County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books