Greene County, Missouri
Greene County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 298,915 making it the fourth most-populous county in Missouri. Its county seat and most-populous city is Springfield. The county was organized in 1833 and is named after American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Greene County is included in the Springfield metropolitan area. Geography. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. Demographics. As of the census of 2000, there were 240,391 people, 97,859 households , and 61,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 356 people per square mile (138/km). There were 104,517 housing units at an average density of 155 per square mile (60/km). The racial makeup of the county was 93.54% White, 2.26% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Approximately 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 97,859 households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married  couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For  every 100 females, there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $44,185, and the median income for a family was $56,047. Males had a median income of $30,672 versus $21,987 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,770. About 7.60% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over. There are 190,417 registered voters in Greene  County. Emergency services. Republic and Springfield have city fire departments. Additionally, the county is served by the following fire districts: Law enforcement is provided by the Greene County Sheriffs Office. The current sheriff is Jim C. Arnott. Politics. Local. The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Greene County. State House of Representatives. Greene County is divided into eight legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives; six of which are held by Republicans and two Democratic seats. State Senate. Greene County is also divided into two districts in the Missouri Senate, both of which represented by  Republicans; District 20, representing large parts of Greene and Christian County, and District 30, representing mostly the city of Springfield. Federal. All of Greene County is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is currently represented by Billy Long (R-Springfield) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Political culture. Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Greene County is a Republican stronghold. George W. Bush carried Greene County in 2000 and 2004 by almost two-to-one margins, and like many other counties throughout Southwest Missouri, Greene County favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. In the 2016  presidential election, Donald Trump carried Greene County by a margin of 60% to 33%. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Greene County was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it passed Greene County with 72.04 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 a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the  state—it narrowly failed in Greene County with 51.62 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 research. Despite Greene County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like 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 Greene County with 74.41 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 also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage. In 2020, Greene County was one of only eight counties in Missouri and the only one outside St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia to vote yes on Amendment 2 to expand Medicaid - it passed Greene County with 52.3 percent of the vote and statewide with 53.3 percent. The county is no  less Republican at the local level, with Republicans holding all county-level elected offices. Democratic strength is concentrated in Springfield itself, while the suburban and rural areas are powerfully Republican. The two Democrats representing portions of Springfield in the state house are the only elected Democrats representing any portion of the county above the municipal level. However, the county has been known to support Democrats in statewide races. Mel Carnahan carried the county in both of his runs for governor, as did Jay Nixon. In 2000, Bob Holden's victory in the county provided the margin that allowed him to  defeat Jim Talent statewide. The county may be becoming less Republican. During the 2020 Census, it was noted that Springfield's residents were becoming more diverse, with many of these diverse groups tending to support the Democratic party. Indeed, as the population of Springfield has grown, so has the percentage of Democratic voters, mirroring political trends in other conservative urban counties such as Potter County, Texas. Missouri presidential preference primary (2008). Voters in Greene County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Although a conservative/Republican stronghold, U.S. Senator  Hillary Clinton (D-New York) still received more votes, a total of 18,322, than any candidate from either party in Greene County during the 2008 presidential primary.