Livingston County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,557. Its county seat is Chillicothe. The county was organized January 6, 1837, and named for U.S. Secretary of State Edward Livingston.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties Grundy County (north) Linn County (east) Chariton County (southeast) Carroll County (south) Caldwell County (southwest) Daviess County (northwest)

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,557 and a median age of 41.5 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 80.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 74.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.6% White, 2.2% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.6% of the population.

62.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 37.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,562 households in the county, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 6,350 housing units, of which 12.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.4% were owner-occupied and 31.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.

Racial and ethnic composition The following table documents the county's racial and ethnic composition across multiple decennial censuses. +Livingston County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)15,37914,14813,91114,38613,36897.71%96.96%95.56%94.68%91.83%Black or African American alone (NH)1903163313653151.21%2.17%2.27%2.40%2.16%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)19384345470.12%0.26%0.30%0.30%0.32%Asian alone (NH)63273840870.40%0.19%0.26%0.26%0.60%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 Census235xx0.01%0.02%0.03%Other race alone (NH)170184190.11%0.00%0.12%0.03%0.13%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census121171477xx0.83%1.13%3.28%Hispanic or Latino (any race)7163941812390.45%0.43%0.65%1.19%1.64%Total15,73914,59214,55815,19514,557 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 15,195 people, 5,871 households and 3,834 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,730 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.39% White, 2.42% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Approximately 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,871 households, of which 29.59% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.29% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.70% were non-families. 29.94% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.43% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.

Age distribution was 21.91% under the age of 18, 7.74% from 18 to 24, 25.34% from 25 to 44, 26.81% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 81.02 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.47 males.

The median household income was $39,683, and the median family income was $53,325. Males had a median income of $38,282 versus $24,944 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,295. About 15.8% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.4% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Chillicothe R-II School District – Chillicothe Chillicothe Early Learning Center (PK) Chillicothe Elementary School (K-05) Chillicothe Middle School (06-08) Chillicothe High School (09-12) Grand River Technical School Livingston County R-III School District – Chula Livingston County Elementary School (PK-08) Southwest R-1 School District – Ludlow Southwest Livingston County Elementary School (PK-06) Southwest Livingston County High School (07-12)

Private schools Bishop Hogan Memorial School – Chillicothe (K-09) – Roman Catholic

Public libraries Livingston County Library

Communities

Cities Chillicothe (county seat) Chula Wheeling

Villages Ludlow Mooresville Utica

Census-designated places Avalon Dawn

Other unincorporated places

Bedford Farmersville Norville Sampsel Springhill Sturges

Townships

Blue Mound Chillicothe Cream Ridge Fairview Grand River Green Jackson Medicine Monroe Mooresville Rich Hill Sampsel Wheeling

Notable people Bower Slack Broaddus, U.S. Federal Judge Courtney W. Campbell, U.S. Representative from Florida (1953-1955) Ray and Faye Copeland, serial killers Claude B. Hutchison, botanist, professor, and Mayor of Berkeley, California (1955-1963) Mike Lair, Missouri State Representative (2009–2016) and former teacher Jerry Litton, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1973-1976) Charles H. Mansur, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1887-1893) Shirley Collie Nelson, country music artist/actress Henry Moses Pollard, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1877-1879) John Quinn, Missouri State Representative (2001-2009) William Y. Slack, brigadier general and politician Clarence Edwin Watkins, publisher

Politics

Local The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Livingston County. Republicans hold a majority of the elected positions in the county.

State + Past Gubernatorial Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202478.76% 5,29519.57% 1,3161.67% 112202078.37% 5,25819.85% 1,3321.77% 119201666.09% 4,18931.43% 1,9922.48% 157201248.72% 2,92248.46% 2,9062.82% 169200843.74% 2,83054.40% 3,5201.86% 120200458.25% 3,68040.84% 2,5800.92% 58200051.99% 3,23646.16% 2,8731.85% 115199629.66% 1,79868.54% 4,1551.80% 109

All of Livingston County is a part of Missouri's 7th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently represented by Rusty Black (R-Chillicothe).

All of Livingston County is a part of Missouri's 21st District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg).

Federal All of Livingston County is included in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and is currently represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Graves was elected to an eleventh term in 2020 over Democratic challenger Gena Ross.

Livingston 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).

Blunt was elected to a second term in 2016 over then-Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander.

Political Culture

At the presidential level, Livingston County has become solidly Republican in recent years. Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Livingston County in 1996 with a plurality of the vote, and a Democrat hasn't won majority support from the county's voters in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Like most rural areas throughout northern Missouri, voters in Livingston County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings, at least on the state and national levels. Despite support for socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes. In 2018, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition A) concerning right to work, the outcome of which ultimately reversed the right to work legislation passed in the state the previous year. 67.72% of Livingston County voters cast their ballots to overturn the law.

Missouri presidential preference primaries

2020 The 2020 presidential primaries for both the Democratic and Republican parties were held in Missouri on March 10. On the Democratic side, former Vice President Joe Biden (D-Delaware) both won statewide and carried Livingston County by a wide margin. Biden went on to defeat Trump in the general election.

Incumbent President Donald Trump (R-Florida) faced a primary challenge from former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, but won both Livingston County and statewide by large margins.

2016 The 2016 presidential primaries for both the Republican and Democratic parties were held in Missouri on March 15. Businessman Donald Trump (R-New York) narrowly won the state overall and won a plurality of the vote in Livingston County. He went on to win the presidency.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-New York) narrowly won statewide, but Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) carried Livingston County by a single vote.

2012 The 2012 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary's results were nonbinding on the state's national convention delegates. Voters in Livingston County supported former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), who finished first in the state at large, but eventually lost the nomination to former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts). Delegates to the congressional district and state conventions were chosen at a county caucus, which selected a delegation favoring former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Incumbent President Barack Obama easily won the Missouri Democratic Primary and renomination. He defeated Romney in the general election.

2008 In 2008, the Missouri Republican Presidential Primary was closely contested, with Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) prevailing and eventually winning the nomination.

Then-Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes than any candidate from either party in Livingston County during the 2008 presidential primary. Despite initial reports that Clinton had won Missouri, Barack Obama (D-Illinois), also a Senator at the time, narrowly defeated her statewide and later became that year's Democratic nominee, going on to win the presidency.

See also Hawn's Mill massacre Mormon War (1838) National Register of Historic Places listings in Livingston County, Missouri

References

External links Livingston County Library Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Livingston County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books