# Laclede County, Missouri

Laclede County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,039. Its county seat is Lebanon. The county was organized February 24, 1849, and was named after Pierre Laclède, founder of St. Louis.
Laclede County comprises the Lebanon, MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 768 square miles (1,990 km$^2$), of which 765 square miles (1,980 km$^2$) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km$^2$) (0.4%) is water.

### Adjacent counties

* Camden County (north)
* Pulaski County (northeast)
* Texas County (southeast)
* Wright County (south)
* Webster County (southwest)
* Dallas County (west)

### Major highways

* Interstate 44
* U.S. Route 66 (1926-1979)
* Route 5
* Route 7
* Route 17
* Route 32
* Route 64
* Route 64A

### National protected area

* Mark Twain National Forest (part)

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,513 people, 12,760 households, and 9,187 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile (16 people/km$^2$). There were 14,320 housing units at an average density of 19 units per square mile (7.3/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 97.04% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Approximately 1.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 12,760 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% 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 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,562, and the median income for a family was $35,962. Males had a median income of $27,011 versus $18,283 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,572. About 11.50% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 15.90% of those age 65 or over.

### 2020 Census

Laclede County Racial Composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (NH) | 32,482 | 90.13% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 262 | 0.72% |
| Native American (NH) | 197 | 0.55% |
| Asian (NH) | 190 | 0.53% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 17 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 1,936 | 5.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 955 | 2.65% |

## Education
### Public schools

* Laclede County R-I School District – Conway
** Ezard Elementary School (PK-06)
** Conway Junior High School (07-08)
** Conway High School (09-12)
* Gasconade C-4 School District – Falcon
** Gasconade Elementary School (PK-08)
* Lebanon R-III School District – Lebanon
** Joe D. Esther Elementary School (PK-01)
** Maplecrest Elementary School (02-03)
** Boswell Elementary School (04-05)
** Lebanon Middle School (06-08)
** Lebanon High School (09-12)
* Joel E. Barber C-5 School District - Lebanon
** Joel E. Barber Elementary School (PK-08)
* Stoutland R-II School District – Stoutland
** Stoutland Elementary School (PK-06)
** Stoutland High School (07-12)

### Post Secondary Schools

*** Ozarks Technical Community College
*** Drury University
*** Lebanon College of Cosmetology
*** Missouri State University Outreach-Lebanon

### Public libraries

* Lebanon-Laclede County Library

## Communities
### Cities

* Conway
* Lebanon (county seat)
* Richland (mostly in Pulaski County and a small part in Camden County)

### Villages

* Evergreen
* Phillipsburg
* Stoutland (mostly in Camden County)

### Townships

* Auglaize
* Eldridge
* Franklin
* Gasconade
* Lebanon
* Osage
* Phillipsburg
* Spring Hollow
* Washington

### Census-designated place

* Bennett Springs

### Other unincorporated places

* Abo
* Agnes
* Bidwell
* Brownfield
* Brush Creek
* Caffeyville
* Carrol Junction
* Case
* Competition
* Delmar
* Dove
* Drew
* Drynob
* Eldridge
* Falcon
* Grace
* Hazelgreen
* Ira
* Lynchburg
* Lyons
* Morgan
* Nebo
* Oakland
* Origanna
* Orla
* Pease
* Prosperine
* Radar
* Russ
* Saint Annie
* Sleeper
* Southard
* Winnipeg

## Politics
### Local

The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Laclede County. Republicans currently hold all of the elected positions in the county.

### State

Past gubernatorial election results :
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
| 2020 | 81.58% 13,681 | 16.38% 2,747 | 2.04% 342 |
| 2016 | 70.96% 11,362 | 25.74% 4,122 | 3.30% 528 |
| 2012 | 57.00% 8,751 | 39.91% 6,128 | 3.09% 474 |
| 2008 | 46.96% 7,604 | 50.90% 8,242 | 2.15% 348 |
| 2004 | 67.23% 9,993 | 31.78% 4,724 | 1.00% 148 |
| 2000 | 58.33% 7,595 | 39.28% 5,115 | 2.39% 311 |
| 1996 | 57.01% 6,525 | 40.46% 4,631 | 2.53% 289 |
Laclede County is split between two of Missouri's legislative districts that elect members of the Missouri House of Representatives, both of which are represented by Republicans.
* District 123 — Diane Franklin (R-Camdenton). Consists of the northern and eastern parts of the county, including Falcon and part of Lebanon.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 123 — Laclede County (2016) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Diane Franklin | 6,194 | 100.00% | |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 123 — Laclede County (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Diane Franklin | 2,659 | 100.00% | |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 123 — Laclede County (2012) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Diane Franklin | 5,801 | 100.00% | |
* District 129 — Sandy Crawford (R-Buffalo). Consists of the southwestern part of the county, including Conway, Evergreen, Phillipsburg, and most of Lebanon.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 129 — Laclede County (2016) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Sandy Crawford | 7,885 | 89.05% | +5.24 |
| | Independent | Charles Matranga | 970 | 10.95% | +10.95 |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 129 — Laclede County (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Sandy Crawford | 3,281 | 83.81% | +7.27 |
| | Democratic | John L. Wilson | 634 | 16.19% | −7.27 |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 129 — Laclede County (2012) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Sandy Crawford | 6,509 | 76.54% | |
| | Democratic | John L. Wilson | 1,995 | 23.46% | |
All of Laclede County is a part of Missouri's 28th District in the Missouri Senate. The seat is currently vacant. The previous incumbent, Mike Parson, was elected lieutenant governor in 2016.
Missouri Senate — District 28 — Laclede County (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Mike Parson | 6,050 | 100.00% | |

### Federal

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Laclede County (2016) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Roy Blunt | 11,316 | 70.53% | +19.78 |
| Democratic | Jason Kander | 3,965 | 24.71% | −16.52 |
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 396 | 2.47% | −5.54 |
| Green | Johnathan McFarland | 180 | 1.12% | +1.12 |
| Constitution | Fred Ryman | 186 | 1.16% | +1.16 |
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Laclede County (2012) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Todd Akin | 7,721 | 50.75% |
| Democratic | Claire McCaskill | 6,278 | 41.23% |
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 1,219 | 8.01% |
All of Laclede County is included in Missouri's 4th Congressional District and is currently represented by Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Laclede County (2016) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 12,908 | 81.49% | +0.49 |
| Democratic | Gordon Christensen | 2,353 | 14.85% | +0.52 |
| Libertarian | Mark Bliss | 580 | 3.66% | −0.92 |
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Laclede County (2014) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 5,654 | 81.00% | +6.06 |
| Democratic | Nate Irvin | 1,000 | 14.33% | −6.87 |
| Libertarian | Herschel L. Young | 320 | 4.58% | +1.87 |
| Write-In | Gregory A. Cowan | 6 | 0.09% | +0.09 |
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 4th Congressional District — Laclede County (2012) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Vicky Hartzler | 11,376 | 74.94% |
| Democratic | Teresa Hensley | 3,219 | 21.20% |
| Libertarian | Thomas Holbrook | 411 | 2.71% |
| Constitution | Gregory A. Cowan | 175 | 1.15% |

#### Political culture

United States presidential election results for Laclede County, Missouri :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 14,155 | 82.59% | 2,756 | 16.08% | 228 | 1.33% |
| 2020 | 13,762 | 81.78% | 2,780 | 16.52% | 286 | 1.70% |
| 2016 | 12,881 | 79.81% | 2,553 | 15.82% | 706 | 4.37% |
| 2012 | 10,934 | 70.84% | 4,093 | 26.52% | 408 | 2.64% |
| 2008 | 10,875 | 66.40% | 5,218 | 31.86% | 286 | 1.75% |
| 2004 | 10,578 | 71.14% | 4,213 | 28.33% | 78 | 0.52% |
| 2000 | 8,556 | 65.58% | 4,183 | 32.06% | 307 | 2.35% |
| 1996 | 5,887 | 51.20% | 4,047 | 35.19% | 1,565 | 13.61% |
| 1992 | 5,176 | 42.35% | 4,179 | 34.19% | 2,867 | 23.46% |
| 1988 | 6,070 | 63.65% | 3,442 | 36.09% | 24 | 0.25% |
| 1984 | 6,406 | 70.62% | 2,665 | 29.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 5,642 | 60.78% | 3,443 | 37.09% | 197 | 2.12% |
| 1976 | 4,067 | 47.99% | 4,381 | 51.69% | 27 | 0.32% |
| 1972 | 6,152 | 73.78% | 2,186 | 26.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 4,860 | 56.06% | 2,958 | 34.12% | 852 | 9.83% |
| 1964 | 3,848 | 46.00% | 4,517 | 54.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 5,805 | 64.78% | 3,156 | 35.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 5,079 | 60.71% | 3,287 | 39.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 5,312 | 65.14% | 2,839 | 34.81% | 4 | 0.05% |
| 1948 | 3,773 | 53.78% | 3,221 | 45.92% | 21 | 0.30% |
| 1944 | 4,670 | 60.75% | 3,011 | 39.17% | 6 | 0.08% |
| 1940 | 4,941 | 59.69% | 3,323 | 40.14% | 14 | 0.17% |
| 1936 | 4,258 | 53.38% | 3,691 | 46.27% | 28 | 0.35% |
| 1932 | 2,804 | 41.10% | 3,960 | 58.04% | 59 | 0.86% |
| 1928 | 3,971 | 65.91% | 2,031 | 33.71% | 23 | 0.38% |
| 1924 | 2,960 | 51.61% | 2,500 | 43.59% | 275 | 4.80% |
| 1920 | 3,469 | 60.29% | 2,183 | 37.94% | 102 | 1.77% |
| 1916 | 1,877 | 50.28% | 1,755 | 47.01% | 101 | 2.71% |
| 1912 | 1,478 | 39.83% | 1,634 | 44.03% | 599 | 16.14% |
| 1908 | 1,902 | 51.94% | 1,681 | 45.90% | 79 | 2.16% |
| 1904 | 1,874 | 53.94% | 1,450 | 41.74% | 150 | 4.32% |
| 1900 | 1,686 | 47.71% | 1,786 | 50.54% | 62 | 1.75% |
| 1896 | 1,598 | 42.60% | 2,120 | 56.52% | 33 | 0.88% |
| 1892 | 1,376 | 43.09% | 1,223 | 38.30% | 594 | 18.60% |
| 1888 | 1,274 | 44.81% | 1,030 | 36.23% | 539 | 18.96% |

### Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 2,791, than any candidate from either party in Laclede County during the 2008 presidential primary.