Poplar Bluff, Missouri

**Poplar Bluff** is a city in southeast Missouri. It is the county seat of Butler County. At the 2020 census, 16,225 people lived there.

## History

Poplar Bluff was incorporated in February 1870.

In 1927 a tornado leveled most of the city, especially the original business district along Main and Broadway streets.

## Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 16,225 people living in the city, organized into 6,638 households.  This is a population loss of 798 persons, or 4.7%, when compared to the 2010 census.  The median age is 37.3 years for all persons (35.1 for males, 39.4 for females).

Of the total population, 24.1% are under 18 years old, 10.4% are 18 to 24 years old, 12.6% were 25 to 34 years old, 11.6% were 35 to 44 years old, 10.8% are were 45 to 54 years old, 12.4% were 55 to 64 years old, with the remaining 18.1% of the population over age 65.  Males comprise 47.2% and females make up 52.8% of the total population.  Whites (non-Latino) make up 76.5% of the total population, African Americans (non-Latino) make up 11.5%, and Hispanics or Latinos make up 2.8%.  7.4% of the population identifies itself as _Two or more races_, non-Latino. Other races each represent less than 1% each of the total population.

Of the total 6,638 households, 3,755 (56.6%) are considered _Family households_, 1,991 (30.0%) have a married couple, 2,016 (30.4%) have children under 18, and 2,407 (36.3%) are one person living alone.  The average household size is 2.44 persons. There are 7,564 total housing units, of which the 6,638 are households, for an occupancy rate of 87.8%.  Of these households, 46.7% are owner-occupied, while 53.3% are renters.

As of 2022, the median (middle) income for a household in the city was about $37,448, and the median income for a family was $48,510. The per capita income for the city was $20,797.  20.8% of families and 27.0% of the population are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 36.5% of those under the age of 18 and 19.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

## Geography

Poplar Bluff is located at  (36.756944, −90.392778), along the Black River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which  is land and  is water.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **official name**: Poplar Bluff, Missouri
- **settlement type**: City
- **image skyline**: Rodgers Theatre 2023.jpg
- **image caption**: **Rodgers Theatre Building (Art Deco architecture)**
- **nickname**: Gateway to the Ozarks, The Bluff, PB
- **motto**: A Community of Opportunity
- **pushpin map**: Missouri#USA
- **pushpin relief**: yes
- **pushpin label**: Poplar Bluff
- **pushpin map caption**: Location in Missouri##Location in the United States
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Missouri
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Missouri, County
- **subdivision name2**: Butler County, Missouri, Butler
- **government type**: Council-Manager
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **leader title1**: Mayor Pro tem
- **leader title2**: City Manager
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **area total km2**: 34.22
- **area total sq mi**: 13.21
- **area land km2**: 34.03
- **area land sq mi**: 13.14
- **area water km2**: 0.19
- **area water sq mi**: 0.07
- **elevation ft**: 348
- **population total**: 16225
- **population as of**: 2020 United States Census, 2020
- **population density km2**: 476.78
- **population density sq mi**: 1234.87
- **timezone**: North American Central Time Zone, Central (CST)
- **utc offset**: −6
- **timezone dst**: CDT
- **utc offset dst**: −5
- **postal code type**: ZIP Codes
- **postal code**: 63901–63902
- **area code**: Area code 573, 573
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 29-59096
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS feature ID
- **blank1 info**: 2396252