New Madrid County ( ; ; ) is a county located in the Bootheel of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,434. The largest city is Portageville and county seat is New Madrid, located on the northern side of the Kentucky Bend in the Mississippi River, where it has formed an oxbow around an exclave of Fulton County, Kentucky. This feature has also been known as New Madrid Bend or Madrid Bend, for the city.
The county was officially organized on October 1, 1812, encompassing most of present-day Arkansas. Named after Nuevo Madrid, a district located in the region, the area was under Spanish rule following France's cession of Louisiana after being defeated in the Seven Years' War. The Spanish named the district after Madrid, the capital of Spain.
The county includes a large part of the New Madrid fault that produced the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes. This zone remains geologically active, and had continued to produce smaller earthquakes with some frequency.
History French Canadians from New France landed in this area in 1781 and established the first European settlement in the present county at New Madrid along the Mississippi River. France had ceded this area to Spain following its loss in the Seven Years' War. The Spanish governor, Bernardo de Gálvez, appointed American colonel William Morgan, a Revolutionary War veteran from New Jersey, as empresario to recruit new settlers for the area. Morgan attracted about 2,000 settlers before Spain returned this territory to France in the late 18th century. They settled mostly in the area of what is now the city of New Madrid, Missouri. After failing to regain control of its colony of Saint-Domingue, where a slave rebellion had been raging, France gave up on North America, selling its large territory west of the Mississippi River in 1803 to the United States under the Louisiana Purchase.
New Madrid County was organized on October 1, 1812, as an act of the First General Assembly of the Missouri Territory. In the floodplain of the Mississippi, this area was long cultivated by planters using enslaved African Americans for cotton production.
A series of more than 1,000 earthquakes struck the area in 1811 and 1812. The New Madrid earthquakes were the strongest non-subduction zone earthquake in the United States. A request dated January 13, 1814, by the Territorial Governor William Clark, asked for federal relief for the "inhabitants of New Madrid County."
The county had its peak of population in 1940, according to US census records, as shown in the table. Many residents left the rural county from 1950 to 1970, seeking better work opportunities in the North and Midwest. County population has continued to decline. In 2017 the county was featured in an episode of Madrid de sol a sol, a show from Spanish public channel Telemadrid exploring locations named "Madrid".
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.1%) is water.
The county is located on the Kentucky Bend of the Mississippi River, which forms a border of the county. This feature is also known as New Madrid Bend or Madrid Bend. This oxbow flows around an exclave of Fulton County, Kentucky. Scientists expect that eventually the river will cut a new channel across the narrow neck of the peninsula, which will gradually be attached by infill land to Missouri.
Unlike most of Missouri, southern parts of New Madrid County are within the Sun Belt, defined by the Kinder Institute as being south of 36°30'N latitude.
Adjacent counties Scott County (north) Mississippi County (northeast) Fulton County, Kentucky (south and east across the Mississippi river) Lake County, Tennessee (south across the river) Pemiscot County (south) Dunklin County (southwest) Stoddard County (northwest)
Major highways Interstate 55 Future Interstate 57 U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 61 U.S. Route 62 Route 153 Route 162
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 16,434. The median age was 42.6 years, 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.1 males age 18 and over.
12.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 87.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 6,917 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 7,870 housing units, of which 12.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.6% were owner-occupied and 36.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.8%.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 19,760 people, 7,824 households, and 5,508 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 8,600 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 83.21% White, 15.36% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Approximately 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in New Madrid County were 32.4% American, 10.3% Irish, 8.8% English, and 8.7% German ancestry.
There were 7,824 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,758, and the median income for a family was $39,411. Males had a median income of $28,408 versus $19,186 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,227. About 18.60% of families and 22.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.40% of those under age 18 and 19.20% of those age 65 or over.
Racial and ethnic composition The racial and ethnic composition as reported in the 2020 redistricting data is shown in the table below.
+New Madrid County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)19,18317,49716,34515,38012,61083.60%83.61%82.72%81.14%76.73%Black or African American alone (NH)3,5493,2673,0242,9832,73115.47%15.61%15.30%15.74%16.62%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)19343340250.08%0.16%0.17%0.21%0.15%Asian alone (NH)32362675620.14%0.17%0.13%0.40%0.38%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 Census171xx0.01%0.04%0.01%Other race alone (NH)12158270.05%0.00%0.03%0.04%0.16%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census143249725xx0.72%1.31%4.41%Hispanic or Latino (any race)150931832142530.65%0.44%0.93%1.13%1.54%Total22,94520,92819,76018,95616,434 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
Religion According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), New Madrid County is a part of the Bible Belt as evangelical Protestantism is the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in New Madrid County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (62.86%), Roman Catholics (8.80%), and Methodists (7.36%).
Education Of adults 25 years of age and older in New Madrid County, 63.6% possess a high school diploma or higher while 9.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.
School districts including sections of the county, no matter how slight, even if the relevant schools and/or administration buildings in another county: - Text list
East Prairie R-II School District Gideon 37 School District New Madrid County R-I School District Portageville School District Risco R-II School District Sikeston School District
Public schools Gideon School District 37 - Gideon Gideon Elementary School (K-6) Gideon High School (7-12) New Madrid County R-I School District - New Madrid Lilbourn Elementary School (PK-5) - Lilbourn Matthews Elementary School (PK-5) - Matthews New Madrid County Central Elementary School (PK-5) New Madrid County Central Middle School (6-08) New Madrid County Central High School (9-12) Portageville School District - Portageville Portageville Elementary School (PK-5) Portageville Middle School (6-8) Portageville High School (9-12) Risco R-II School District - Risco Risco Elementary School (K-6) Risco High School (7-12)
Private schools St. Eustachius Elementary School - Portageville - (PK-8) - Roman Catholic Immaculate Conception School - New Madrid - (PK-8) - Roman Catholic
Alternative/vocational schools New Madrid Bend Youth Center - New Madrid - (6-12) - Alternative New Madrid R-I Technical Skills Center - New Madrid - (9-12) - Vocational/Technical
Public libraries Lilbourn Memorial Library New Madrid County Library
Colleges and universities Three Rivers College's service area includes New Madrid County.
Communities Cities and Towns
Canalou Catron Gideon Howardville Lilbourn Marston Matthews Morehouse New Madrid (county seat) North Lilbourn Parma Portageville (partly in Pemiscot County) Risco Sikeston (mostly in Scott County) Tallapoosa
Unincorporated communities
Bayouville Big Ridge Boekerton Broadwater Como Conran Dodds Farrenburg Hartzell Hurricane Ridge Kewanee La Forge Lorwood Noxall Point Pleasant Ristine
Politics
Local Historically, the Democratic Party completely controlled politics at the local level in New Madrid County. Republicans now control nearly all elected positions in the county.
State New Madrid County is wholly encompassed by the 149th Missouri House of Representatives district and is currently represented by Republican Don Rone of Portageville.
In the Missouri Senate, all of New Madrid County is a part of Missouri's 25th District and is currently represented by Republican Jason Bean of Poplar Bluff.
+ Past Gubernatorial Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202478.32% 5,23119.55% 1,3062.12% 142202074.39% 5,33824.01% 1,7231.80% 115201660.29% 4,39237.80% 2,7541.91% 139201244.64% 2,73259.70% 4,2701.49% 120200838.19% 3,57453.87% 4,3132.11% 151200447.57% 3,73751.38% 4,0361.05% 82200041.28% 2,97857.50% 4,1481.22% 88199628.14% 2,10670.43% 5,2701.43% 107199238.99% 3,08761.01% 4,8300.00% 0198850.94% 3,59448.89% 3,4490.17% 12198450.34% 3,97949.66% 3,9260.00% 0198038.82% 3,17661.14% 5,0020.04% 3197637.75% 2,95162.20% 4,8630.05% 4
Federal New Madrid County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith (R-Salem) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau). Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.
New Madrid County, along with the rest of the state of Missouri, is represented in the U.S. Senate by Josh Hawley (R-Columbia) and Roy Blunt (R-Strafford).