Pemiscot County is a County (US) located in the Bootheel in Southeast Missouri in the United States As of the United States Census, 2000 the countys population was 20,047. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 18,515. The largest city and county seat is Caruthersville, Missouri GR|6}}. The county was officially organized on February 19, 1851, and is named for the local bayou, taken from the Fox (Native American) dialect pem-eskaw meaning "liquid mud."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau the county has a total area of 512 square miles (1,327 km²), of which, 493 square miles (1,277 km²) of it is land and 19 square miles (50 km²) of it (3.77%) is water. Fishing is a popular activity among residents in the area.

Adjacent counties

*New Madrid County, Missouri (north) *Lake County, Tennessee (northeast) *Dyer County, Tennessee (southeast) *Mississippi County, Arkansas (south) *Dunklin County, Missouri (west)

Major highways

*Image:I-55.svg Interstate 55 (Missouri) *Image:I-155.svg Interstate 155 (Missouri-Tennessee) *Image:US 61.svg U.S. Route 61 (Missouri) *Image:US 412.svg U.S. Route 412 (Missouri) *Image:MO-84.svg Missouri Route 84 *Image:MO-164.svg Missouri Route 164

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Pemiscot County, 58.2% possess a high school diploma or higher, while 8.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher as their greatest educational attainment.

Public Schools

*http://caruthersville.k12.mo.us/ Caruthersville School District 18] - Caruthersville, Missouri **Caruthersville Elementary School (PK-05) **Caruthersville Middle School (06-08) **Caruthersville High School (09-12) *http://cooter.k12.mo.us/ Cooter R-IV School District] - Cooter, Missouri **Cooter Elementary School (K-06) **Cooter High School (07-12) *http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/deltac7.k12.mo.us/ Delta C-7 School District] - Deering, Missouri **Delta Elementary School (K-06) **Delta High School (07-12) *http://hayti.k12.mo.us/ Hayti R-II School District] - Hayti, Missouri **Mathis Elementary School (PK-03) **Wallace Elementary School (04-06) **Hayti High School (07-12) *http://northpem.k12.mo.us/ North Pemiscot County R-I School District] - Wardell, Missouri **Ross Elementary School - Portageville, Missouri - (K-05) **North Pemiscot County High School - (06-12) *http://southpem.k12.mo.us/ South Pemiscot County R-V School District] - Steele, Missouri **South Pemiscot County Elementary School (K-06) **South Pemiscot County High School (07-12)

Alternative/Vocational Schools

*Diagnostic Center - Hayti, Missouri - (K-12) - Special education *External Locations - Hayti, Missouri - (K-12) - Special education *Oak View Learning Center - Hayti, Missouri - (K-12) - Special education *Pemiscot County Vocational School - Hayti, Missouri - (11-12) - Vocational/technical

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Pemiscot County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Pemiscot County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptist Convention (69.98%), United Methodist Church (7.56%), and Churches of Christ (4.76%).

Demographics

As of the census GR|2}} of 2000, there were 20,047 people, 7,855 households, and 5,317 families residing in the county. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 8,793 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.76% White (U.S. Census) 26.23% Black (U.S. Census) or African American (U.S. Census) 0.25% Native American (U.S. Census) 0.27% Asian (U.S. Census) 0.01% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census) 0.62% from Race (United States Census) and 0.85% from two or more races. Approximately 1.57% of the population were Hispanic (U.S. Census) or Latino (U.S. Census) of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Pemiscot County were 31.9% United States 7.8% Irish people 5.6% English people and 5.5% German people according to Census 2000 There were 7,855 households out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.00% were Marriage living together, 18.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.10. In the county the population was spread out with 30.00% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $26,992, and the median income for a family was $33,945. Males had a median income of $27,476 versus $17,358 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,599. About 24.80% of families and 30.40% of the population were below the poverty line including 43.20% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

| |----- valign"top" | *Braggadocio, Missouri *Bragg City, Missouri *Caruthersville, Missouri *Cooter, Missouri | *Deering, Missouri *Gobler, Missouri *Hayti, Missouri *Hayti Heights, Missouri | *Hayward, Missouri *Holland, Missouri *Homestown, Missouri *North Wardell, Missouri | *Pascola, Missouri *Peach Orchard, Missouri *Steele, Missouri *Wardell, Missouri |} ----

Politics

Local

Politics at the local level in Pemiscot County are dominated by the Democratic Party (United States) with all of Pemiscot Countys currently elected officeholders Democrats.

State

| align"right" border"2" cellpadding"4" cellspacing"0" style"margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+ Past Gubernatorial Elections Results |- bgcolorlightgrey ! Year ! Republican Party (United States) ! Democratic Party (United States) ! Third Party (United States) |- |align"center" bgcolor"#f0f0ff"|Missouri gubernatorial election, 2008 |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|37.26% 2,491 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|60.50% 4,045 |align="center" |2.24% 150 |- |align"center" bgcolor"#f0f0ff"|Missouri gubernatorial election, 2004 |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|44.93% 2,965 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|53.46% 3,528 |align="center" |1.61% 106 |- |align"center" bgcolor"#f0f0ff"|2000 |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|34.61% 2,053 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|63.80% 3,784 |align="center" |1.59% 94 |- |align"center" bgcolor"#f0f0ff"|1996 |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|26.24% 1,461 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|72.31% 4,026 |align="center" |1.45% 81 |} In the Missouri House of Representatives all of Pemiscot County is a part of Missouri’s 162nd District and is currently represented by Missouri House of Representatives http://www.house.missouri.gov/member.aspx?year2009&district162 Terry Swinger] (D-Caruthersville, Missouri . In 2008, Swinger ran unopposed and was reelected with 100% of the vote. In the Missouri Senate all of Pemiscot County is a part of Missouris 25th District and is currently represented by Missouri Senate http://www.senate.mo.gov/05info/members/mem25.htm Rob Mayer] (R-Dexter, Missouri . In 2008, Mayer defeated M. Shane Stoelting (D) 65.32-34.68 percent in the district. The 25th Senatorial District consists of Butler County, Missouri Dunklin County, Missouri New Madrid County, Missouri Pemiscot, Ripley County, Missouri Stoddard County, Missouri and Wayne County, Missouri counties.

Federal

In the United States House of Representatives Pemiscot County is represented by Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau) who represents all of southeast Missouri as part of MO-08

Political Culture

| align"right" border"2" cellpadding"4" cellspacing"0" style"margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+ Past Presidential Elections Results |- bgcolorlightgrey ! Year ! Republican Party (United States) ! Democratic Party (United States) ! Third Party (United States) |- |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|U.S. presidential election, 2008 |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|56.11% 3,954 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|42.98% ,029 |align"center" |0.91% 64 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]] |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|49.93% 3,398 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|49.68% 3,381 |align"center" |0.39% 27 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]] |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|45.38% ,750 |align"center" bgcolor"#f0f0ff"|53.55% 3,245 |align="center" |1.07% 5 |- |align"center" bgcolor"#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1996 |align"center" bgcolor"#fff3f3"|32.06% 1,820 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|59.38% 3,371 |align="center" |8.56% 486 |} At the presidential level, Pemiscot County is a fairly independent-leaning or battleground county although, like many counties in the impoverished Bootheel with a significant African American population, it has a slight tendency to vote Democratic. While George W. Bush carried Pemiscot County by just 17 votes in United States presidential election, 2004 Al Gore won the county in United States presidential election, 2000 although both times the margin of victory was significantly closer than in many other rural areas. Bill Clinton also carried Pemiscot County in both United States presidential election, 1992 and United States presidential election, 1996 by double-digit margins. As was the case in many of the other rural counties in Missouri, Pemiscot County favored John McCain over Barack Obama in United States presidential election, 2008 although the margin of victory was smaller than in many of the other rural areas. In United States presidential election, 1968 Pemiscot County was the only county in Missouri to be won by George Wallace the former Governor of Alabama who ran as a pro-segregationist presidential candidate. As in most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in Pemiscot County generally adhere to socially and culturally Conservatism principles, but are more moderate or Populism on economic issues, typical of the Dixiecrat philosophy. In 2004, Missourians voted on Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004) it passed Pemiscot County with 84.73 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters, as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage In 2006, Missourians voted on Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006) it failed in Pemiscot County, with 52.41 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters, as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve Embryonic stem cell Despite Pemiscot County’s longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing Populism causes, such as increasing the minimum wage In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Pemiscot County with 78.01 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

Missouri Presidential Preference Primary (2008)

In the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary, voters in Pemiscot County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. *Former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York received more votes, a total of 1,270, than any candidate from either party in Pemiscot County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary. She also received more votes than the total number of votes cast in the entire Republican Primary in Pemiscot County.

References

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