# Buchanan County, Missouri

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 415 square miles (1,070 km$^2$), of which 408 square miles (1,060 km$^2$) is land and 6.6 square miles (17 km$^2$) (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

* 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

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 210 inhabitants per square mile (81/km$^2$). There were 36,574 housing units at an average density of 89 units per square mile (34/km$^2$). 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%).

### 2020 Census

Buchanan County Racial Composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (NH) | 68,391 | 80.7% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 4,303 | 5.1% |
| Native American (NH) | 323 | 0.4% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,048 | 1.24% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 426 | 0.5% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 4,702 | 5.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,600 | 6.6% |

## Education
### Public schools

* 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-06)
** Coleman Elementary School (K-06)
** Edison Elementary School (PK-06)
** Ellison Elementary School (K-06)
** Field Elementary School (K-06)
** Hosea Elementary School (PK-06)
** Hyde Elementary School (K-06)
** Lindbergh Elementary School (PK-06)
** Oak Grove Elementary School (K-06)
** Parkway Elementary School (PK-06)
** Pershing Elementary School (K-06)
** Pickett Elementary School (PK-06)
** Skaith Elementary School (PK-06)
** Bode Middle School (07-08)
** Robidoux Middle School (07-08)
** Spring Garden Middle (07-08)
** Truman Middle School (07-08)
** 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
* Cathedral School & Early Childhood Center – St. Joseph (NS/PK-08) – Roman Catholic
* Prescott Seventh-day Adventist School – St. Joseph (02-08) – Seventh-day Adventist
* 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. Paul Lutheran School – St. Joseph (K-09) – Lutheran
* St. Joseph KinderCare – St. Joseph (NS-PK)
* South Park Christian Academy – St. Joseph (K-12) – Pentecostal
* Bishop LeBlond High School – St. Joseph (9-12) – Roman Catholic

### 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

### Unincorporated communities

* Faucett
* Frazier
* Garrettsburg
* Halleck
* Halls
* San Antonio
* Saxton
* Sparta
* Wallace
* Willow Brook
* Winthrop

### Townships

Buchanan County is divided into 12 townships:
* Agency
* Bloomington
* Center
* Crawford
* Jackson
* Lake
* Marion
* Platte
* Rush
* Tremont
* Washington
* Wayne

## 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 saxophonist
* 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 Parties |
| 2020 | 60.85% 22,147 | 36.34% 13,225 | 2.81% 1,022 |
| 2016 | 52.60% 18,714 | 43.92% 15,628 | 3.48% 1,238 |
| 2012 | 39.61% 13,810 | 56.46% 19,685 | 3.92% 1,368 |
| 2008 | 37.39% 14,442 | 59.94% 23,151 | 2.67% 1,028 |
| 2004 | 50.03% 18,967 | 48.31% 18,317 | 1.66% 629 |
| 2000 | 45.18% 15,602 | 52.12% 17,998 | 2.70% 930 |
| 1996 | 29.76% 9,731 | 67.41% 22,045 | 2.83% 925 |
Buchanan County is split between three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, all of which are held by Republicans.
* District 9 – Dean Van Schoiack (R-Savannah). Consists of the eastern portion of the county.
Missouri House of Representatives - District 9 – Buchanan County (2020) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Dean Van Schoiack | 6,598 | 65.10% | +4.41 |
| | Democratic | Karen Planalp | 3,537 | 34.90% | −4.41 |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 9 — Buchanan County (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Shelia Solon | 5,154 | 60.69% | −39.31 |
| | Democratic | Bob Bergland | 3,338 | 39.31% | +39.31 |
* District 10 – Bill Falkner (R-St. Joseph). The district is entirely based in the city of St. Joseph.
Missouri House of Representatives - District 10 – Buchanan County (2020) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Bill Falkner | 7,110 | 61.03% | +2.89 |
| | Democratic | Colby Murphy | 4,541 | 38.98% | −2.89 |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 10 — Buchanan County (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Bill Falkner | 5,753 | 58.13% | +58.13 |
| | Democratic | Shane R. Thompson | 4,144 | 41.87% | −58.13 |
* District 11 – Brenda Shields (R-St. Joseph). Consists of the southern part of the county.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 11 — Buchanan County (2020) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Brenda Shields | 9,737 | 70.29% | +5.42 |
| | Democratic | Brady Lee O'Dell | 4,115 | 29.71% | −5.42 |
Missouri House of Representatives — District 11 — Buchanan County (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Brenda Shields | 7,275 | 64.87% | −35.13 |
| | Democratic | Brady Lee O'Dell | 3,940 | 35.13% | +35.13 |
All of Buchanan County is a part of Missouri's 34th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville).
Missouri Senate - District 34 – Buchanan County (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Tony Luetkemeyer | 15,903 | 53.34% | −0.35 |
| | Democratic | Martin T. Rucker II | 13,913 | 46.66% | +0.35 |
Missouri Senate - District 34 – Buchanan County (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Rob Schaaf | 11,068 | 53.69% | |
| | Democratic | Robert Stuber | 9,936 | 46.31% | |

### Federal

All of Buchanan 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.
U.S. House of Representatives – Missouri’s 6th Congressional District – Buchanan County (2020) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Sam Graves | 23,523 | 65.00% | +3.33 |
| Democratic | Gena L. Ross | 11,659 | 32.22% | −2.58 |
| Libertarian | Jim Higgins | 1,008 | 2.79% | −0.75 |
U.S. House of Representatives – Missouri's 6th Congressional District – Buchanan County (2018) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Sam Graves | 18,471 | 61.67% | −2.59 |
| Democratic | Henry Robert Martin | 10,422 | 34.80% | +2.97 |
| Libertarian | Dan Hogan | 1,060 | 3.54% | +1.04 |
Buchanan 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).
U.S. Senate – Class I – Buchanan County (2018) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Josh Hawley | 15,912 | 52.83% | +18.59 |
| Democratic | Claire McCaskill | 12,889 | 42.80% | −15.93 |
| Independent | Craig O'Dear | 617 | 2.05% | |
| Libertarian | Japheth Campbell | 519 | 1.72% | −5.31 |
| Green | Jo Crain | 180 | 0.60% | +0.60 |
Blunt was elected to a second term in 2016 over then-Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander.
U.S. Senate — Class III — Buchanan County (2016) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Roy Blunt | 17,658 | 49.60% | +15.36 |
| Democratic | Jason Kander | 16,103 | 45.23% | −13.50 |
| Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 1,043 | 2.93% | −4.10 |
| Green | Johnathan McFarland | 515 | 1.45% | +1.45 |
| Constitution | Fred Ryman | 282 | 0.79% | +0.79 |

#### Political culture

United States presidential election results for Buchanan County, Missouri :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 22,606 | 62.96% | 12,598 | 35.09% | 701 | 1.95% |
| 2020 | 22,450 | 61.15% | 13,445 | 36.62% | 818 | 2.23% |
| 2016 | 21,320 | 59.28% | 12,013 | 33.40% | 2,631 | 7.32% |
| 2012 | 18,660 | 53.15% | 15,594 | 44.42% | 852 | 2.43% |
| 2008 | 19,110 | 48.68% | 19,164 | 48.81% | 986 | 2.51% |
| 2004 | 19,812 | 52.21% | 17,799 | 46.90% | 339 | 0.89% |
| 2000 | 16,423 | 47.26% | 17,085 | 49.16% | 1,243 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | 12,610 | 38.19% | 15,848 | 48.00% | 4,560 | 13.81% |
| 1992 | 11,275 | 30.18% | 16,570 | 44.35% | 9,520 | 25.48% |
| 1988 | 15,336 | 44.99% | 18,601 | 54.57% | 152 | 0.45% |
| 1984 | 19,735 | 56.22% | 15,369 | 43.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 16,551 | 47.09% | 16,967 | 48.27% | 1,632 | 4.64% |
| 1976 | 16,446 | 48.19% | 17,427 | 51.07% | 251 | 0.74% |
| 1972 | 21,850 | 65.72% | 11,395 | 34.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 16,101 | 46.38% | 15,860 | 45.69% | 2,752 | 7.93% |
| 1964 | 11,501 | 32.25% | 24,164 | 67.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 21,448 | 52.57% | 19,348 | 47.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 20,311 | 52.49% | 18,384 | 47.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 22,087 | 52.61% | 19,854 | 47.29% | 44 | 0.10% |
| 1948 | 13,002 | 36.08% | 22,975 | 63.76% | 57 | 0.16% |
| 1944 | 15,113 | 42.91% | 20,091 | 57.04% | 20 | 0.06% |
| 1940 | 17,484 | 41.63% | 24,482 | 58.30% | 29 | 0.07% |
| 1936 | 15,912 | 35.41% | 28,825 | 64.15% | 196 | 0.44% |
| 1932 | 14,602 | 35.68% | 26,060 | 63.68% | 260 | 0.64% |
| 1928 | 20,459 | 62.71% | 12,110 | 37.12% | 55 | 0.17% |
| 1924 | 17,509 | 50.13% | 14,759 | 42.26% | 2,658 | 7.61% |
| 1920 | 17,191 | 50.99% | 16,188 | 48.02% | 335 | 0.99% |
| 1916 | 7,761 | 40.56% | 10,973 | 57.35% | 400 | 2.09% |
| 1912 | 4,412 | 26.46% | 8,869 | 53.18% | 3,395 | 20.36% |
| 1908 | 8,394 | 45.34% | 9,836 | 53.13% | 283 | 1.53% |
| 1904 | 8,703 | 51.62% | 7,736 | 45.89% | 420 | 2.49% |
| 1900 | 8,329 | 47.51% | 8,925 | 50.91% | 278 | 1.59% |
| 1896 | 6,854 | 47.81% | 7,336 | 51.17% | 147 | 1.03% |
| 1892 | 5,522 | 42.90% | 6,949 | 53.99% | 401 | 3.12% |
| 1888 | 5,011 | 43.20% | 6,369 | 54.91% | 219 | 1.89% |
At the presidential level, Buchanan County was a swing county that has become increasingly Republican in recent years. Buchanan County strongly favored Republican Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Barack Obama was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Buchanan County in 2008 with a plurality of the vote, but a Democrat hasn't won majority support from the county's voters in a presidential election since Michael Dukakis in 1988.
Buchanan County did vote to legalize abortion in Missouri, voting for 2024 Missouri Amendment 3.

### 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 Buchanan County by a wide margin. Biden went on to defeat President Donald Trump in the general election.
Missouri Democratic Presidential Primary – Buchanan County (2020) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Joe Biden | 4,322 | 57.99 |
| Democratic | Bernie Sanders | 2,645 | 35.49 |
| Democratic | Tulsi Gabbard | 81 | 1.09 |
| Democratic | Others/Uncommitted | 405 | 5.43 |
Incumbent President Donald Trump (R-Florida) faced a primary challenge from former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, but won both Buchanan County and statewide by overwhelming margins.
Missouri Republican Presidential Primary – Buchanan County (2020) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Donald Trump | 3,528 | 96.24 |
| Republican | Bill Weld | 23 | 0.63 |
| Republican | Others/Uncommitted | 115 | 3.14 |

#### 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 carried a plurality in Buchanan County. He went on to win the presidency.
Missouri Republican Presidential Primary – Buchanan County (2016) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Donald Trump | 4,691 | 41.65 |
| Republican | Ted Cruz | 3,879 | 34.44 |
| Republican | John Kasich | 1,478 | 13.12 |
| Republican | Marco Rubio | 847 | 7.52 |
| Republican | Others/Uncommitted | 369 | 3.28 |
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-New York) narrowly won statewide, but Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) carried Buchanan County.
Missouri Democratic Presidential Primary – Buchanan County (2016) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Bernie Sanders | 4,148 | 53.65 |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton | 3,443 | 44.54 |
| Democratic | Others/Uncommitted | 140 | 1.81 |

#### 2012

The 2012 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary's results were nonbinding on the state's national convention delegates. Voters in Buchanan 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 Romney. 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. However, former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) narrowly carried Buchanan County.
Missouri Republican Presidential Primary – Buchanan County (2008) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Mitt Romney | 2,216 | 31.94 |
| Republican | John McCain | 2,194 | 31.63 |
| Republican | Mike Huckabee | 1,825 | 26.31 |
| Republican | Ron Paul | 521 | 7.51 |
| Republican | Others/Uncommitted | 181 | 2.60 |
Then-Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes than any candidate from either party in Buchanan 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.
Missouri Democratic Presidential Primary – Buchanan County (2008) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton | 6,689 | 57.09 |
| Democratic | Barack Obama | 4,427 | 37.78 |
| Democratic | Others/Uncommitted | 601 | 5.13 |