Buchanan County ( ) is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 84,793. Its county seat is St. Joseph. When originally formed in 1838, the county was named Roberts County, after settler Hiram Roberts. It was renamed in 1839 for James Buchanan, then a U.S. Senator and later President of the United States. The county was formed from land annexed to Missouri, as were five other counties. Buchanan County is included in the Kansas City CSA.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties Andrew County (north) DeKalb County (northeast) Clinton County (east) Platte County (south) Atchison County, Kansas (southwest) Doniphan County, Kansas (northwest)

Transportation Major highways Source:

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 Business Interstate 229 U.S. Route 36 U.S. Route 59 U.S. Route 71 US 71 Business U.S. Route 169 Route 6 Route 31 Route 45 Route 116 Route 138 Route 273 Route 371 Route 752 Route 759

Transit St. Joseph Transit Jefferson Lines

Demographics

2020 census +Buchanan County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)83,28678,23378,40676,93768,39194.76%94.16%91.17%86.25%80.66%Black or African American alone (NH)2,5932,6153,7144,5724,3032.95%3.15%4.32%5.13%5.07%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2202333213273230.25%0.28%0.37%0.37%0.38%Asian alone (NH)1742523847041,0480.20%0.30%0.45%0.79%1.24%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census20149426xx0.02%0.17%0.50%Other race alone (NH)674153732370.08%0.05%0.06%0.08%0.28%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1,0141,7654,465xx1.18%1.98%5.27%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,5481,7092,0864,6745,6001.76%2.06%2.43%5.24%6.60%Total87,88883,08385,99889,20184,793 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 84,793, the median age was 39.1 years, 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.7 males age 18 and over. 86.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 13.7% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 82.6% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.5% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 7.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population.

There were 33,882 households in the county, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 38,258 housing units, of which 11.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.1% were owner-occupied and 36.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 85,998 people, 33,557 households, and 21,912 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 36,574 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.73% White, 4.36% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Approximately 2.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 33,557 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.30% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.70% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,704, and the median income for a family was $42,408. Males had a median income of $31,697 versus $21,827 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,882. About 8.50% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.00% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.

Religion According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Buchanan County is sometimes regarded as being on the northern edge of the Bible Belt, with evangelical Protestantism being the most predominant religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Buchanan County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (24.96%), Roman Catholics (20.35%), and nondenominational evangelical groups (15.95%). Education School districts include: - Text list Buchanan County R-IV School District East Buchanan County C-1 School District Mid-Buchanan County R-V School District St. Joseph School District North Platte County R-I School District

Public schools Four school districts operate schools in the county boundaries: Buchanan County R-IV School District – De Kalb Rushville Elementary School (PK-06) De Kalb Junior/Senior High School (07-12) East Buchanan County C-I School District - Gower East Buchanan County C-I Middle School (06-08) - Easton Mid-Buchanan County R-V School District – Faucett Mid-Buchanan County Elementary School (PK-06) Mid-Buchanan County High School (07-12) St. Joseph School District – St. Joseph Carden Park Elementary School (K-05) Coleman Elementary School (K-05) Edison Elementary School (PK-05) Ellison Elementary School (K-05) Field Elementary School (K-05) Hosea Elementary School (PK-05) Hyde Elementary School (K-05) Lindbergh Elementary School (PK-05) Oak Grove Elementary School (K-05) Parkway Elementary School (PK-05) Pickett Elementary School (PK-05) Skaith Elementary School (PK-05) Bode Middle School (06-08) Lafayette Middle School (06-08) Spring Garden Middle (06-08) Truman Middle School (06-08) Benton High School (09-12) Central High School (09-12) Lafayette High School (09-12)

Private schools Baptist Temple Schools – St. Joseph (K-12) – Baptist Bishop LeBlond High School – St. Joseph (9-12) – Roman Catholic Cathedral School & Early Childhood Center – St. Joseph (NS/PK-08) – Roman Catholic Prescott Seventh-day Adventist School – St. Joseph (02-08) – Seventh-day Adventist South Park Christian Academy – St. Joseph (K-12) – Pentecostal St. Francis Xavier School – St. Joseph (K-09) – Roman Catholic St. James School – St. Joseph (K-09) – Roman Catholic St. Joseph Christian School – St. Joseph (PK-12) – Nondenominational Christian St. Joseph KinderCare – St. Joseph (NS-PK) St. Paul Lutheran School – St. Joseph (K-09) – Lutheran

Colleges and Universities Missouri Western State University

Public libraries Rolling Hills Consolidated Library—Belt Branch Saint Joseph Public Library

Communities Cities

Dearborn (partly in Platte County) De Kalb Easton Gower (partly in Clinton County) St. Joseph (county seat)

Villages

Agency Lewis and Clark Village Rushville

Census-designated place

Faucett

Unincorporated communities

Frazier Halls San Antonio Sparta Wallace Willow Brook Winthrop

Extinct hamlets

Garrettsburg Halleck Kenmoor Pinkston Saxton

Townships Buchanan County is divided into 12 townships:

Agency Bloomington Center Crawford Jackson Lake Marion Platte Rush Tremont Washington Wayne

Population ranking The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Buchanan County.

† County seat†† Partly within an adjacent county

RankNameMunicipal TypePopulation 1St. Joseph † Home Rule City 72,473 2Gower†† 4th Class City 1,533 3Agency Village 671 4Dearborn†† 4th Class City 482 5Faucett CDP 248 6De Kalb 4th Class City 233 7Easton 4th Class City 227 8Rushville Village 225 9Lewis and Clark Village Village 96

Notable people

Charles S. L. Baker, African American businessman and inventor Kay Barnes, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri (1999–2007) Dwayne Blakley, professional football player Ryan Bradley, figure skater Norbert Brodine, cinematographer Byron Browne, professional baseball player Charles F. Buddy, bishop, attended Christian Brothers School Rob Calloway, boxer Harold F. Cherniss, historian of ancient Greece and Plato scholar at Princeton Walter Cronkite, iconic television journalist Paul Crouch, founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network Katherine Kennicott Davis, composer of "The Little Drummer Boy" Eminem, rapper and recording artist Eugene Field, popular poet in his day, worked for the St. Joseph Gazette and wrote a famous poem about Lover's Lane in St. Joseph Ralph D. Foster, broadcasting pioneer Betty Garrett, actress, known for On the Town and Laverne & Shirley Elijah Gates, State Treasurer of Missouri (1877–1881) Anthony Glise, guitarist Jody Hamilton, wrestler Larry Hamilton, wrestler Fred Harman, artist, drew the Red Ryder cartoons and worked with Walt Disney Coleman Hawkins, jazz saxophonistColeman Hawkins Biography, biography.com Retrieved October 27, 2012 Shere Hite, sex educator Edie Huggins, television journalist Bela M. Hughes, pioneer, prominent St. Joseph lawyer in 1850s and 1860s William Hyde, journalist Henry Iba, Oklahoma State University men's basketball coach Jesse James, iconic outlaw, murdered in St. Joseph Kagney Linn Karter, pornographic actress Brian McDonald, writer Jeff Morris, actor, known for The Blues Brothers Timothy Omundson, actor Isaac C. Parker, federal judge, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1871–1875) Travis Partridge, professional football player Forrest E. Peden, decorated World War II soldier Tom Pendergast, political boss Seraphine Eppstein Pisko, executive secretary of the Denver Jewish Hospital Frank Posegate, mayor of St. Joseph LeRoy Prinz, choreographer and film director Arthur Pryor, trombonist Sid Rogell, Hollywood producer Nellie Tayloe Ross, first woman elected governor of a U.S. state; Governor of Wyoming (1925–1927) Martin Rucker, professional football player Mike Rucker, professional football player Jay Sarno, hotel mogul, founder of Caesars Palace Bill Snyder, Kansas State football coach Evalyn Thomas, drama and English instructor at UCLA, 1917–1938 Eddie Timanus, Jeopardy! champion, won five times in 1999 despite being blind Steve Walsh, musician of band Kansas Ruth Warrick, actress, known for Citizen Kane and All My Children Jim Webb, U.S. Senator from Virginia (2007–2013) Silas Woodson, 21st Governor of Missouri (1873–1875) Huston Wyeth, industrialist Jane Wyman, Oscar–winning actress and first wife of Ronald Reagan Delmer J. Yoakum, artist Olive Young, actress and blues singer

Politics

Local The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Buchanan County. Republicans hold all but two of the elected positions in the county.

State + Past Gubernatorial Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202463.81% 22,43233.62% 11,8192.57% 903202060.85% 22,14736.34% 13,2252.81% 1,022201652.60% 18,71443.92% 15,6283.48% 1,238201239.61% 13,81056.46% 19,6853.92% 1,368200837.39% 14,44259.94% 23,1512.67% 1,028200450.03% 18,96748.31% 18,3171.66% 629200045.18% 15,60252.12% 17,9982.70% 930199629.76% 9,73167.41% 22,0452.83% 925