Miller County is a county located in the northern Ozarks region of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 24,722. Its county seat is Tuscumbia. The county was organized February 6, 1837, and named for John Miller, former U.S. Representative and Governor of Missouri.

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 Moniteau County (north) Cole County (northeast) Osage County (northeast) Maries County (east) Pulaski County (south) Camden County (southwest) Morgan County (west)

Major highways U.S. Route 54 Route 17 Route 42 Route 52 Route 87 Route 134 Route 242

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 24,722. The median age was 41.3 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.9 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.

23.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 76.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 9,867 households in the county, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 12,476 housing units, of which 20.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.1% were owner-occupied and 25.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.

+Miller County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)18,30120,46922,93423,76222,90898.75%98.88%97.33%96.02%92.66%Black or African American alone (NH)82363951170.04%0.11%0.27%0.38%0.47%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)67831001231130.36%0.40%0.42%0.50%0.46%Asian alone (NH)25212769640.13%0.10%0.11%0.28%0.26%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 Census53624xx0.02%0.15%0.10%Other race alone (NH)143154450.08%0.01%0.06%0.02%0.18%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census189316985xx0.80%1.28%3.98%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1171012313434660.63%0.49%0.98%1.39%1.88%Total18,53220,70023,56424,74824,722 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 23,564 people, 9,284 households, and 6,443 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 11,263 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.99% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Approximately 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,284 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,977, and the median income for a family was $36,770. Males had a median income of $26,225 versus $18,903 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,144. About 10.80% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 14.70% of those age 65 or over. Education

Public schools Eldon R-I School District – Eldon South Elementary School (PK-03) Eldon Upper Elementary School (04-06) Eldon Middle School (07-08) Eldon High School (09-12) Iberia R-V School District – Iberia Iberia Elementary School (PK-06) Iberia High School (07-12) Miller County R-III School District – Tuscumbia Miller County Elementary School (K-08) Tuscumbia High School (09-12) School of the Osage – Lake Ozark Leland O. Mills Elementary School (PK-02) Osage Upper Elementary School (03-05) Osage Middle School (06-08) Osage High School (09-12) St. Elizabeth R-IV School District – St. Elizabeth St. Elizabeth Elementary School (K-06) St. Elizabeth High School (07-12)

Private schools Lakeview Christian Academy – Lake Ozark (K-10) – Nondenominational Christian Our Lady of the Snows School – Eugene (K-08) – Roman Catholic Eldon Montessori Children's House – Eldon (PK-K) – Nonsectarian The King's Academy - Christ the King Lutheran School – Lake Ozark (Preschool-8) – Lutheran

Public libraries Heartland Regional Library System

Communities Cities and towns

Bagnell Brumley Eldon (largest city) Iberia Lake Ozark Lakeside Olean Osage Beach St. Elizabeth Tuscumbia (county seat)

Census-designated place

Aurora Springs

Unincorporated communities

Atwell Brays Capps Etterville Faith Hoecker Kaiser Keethtown Marys Home Pleasant Mount Rocky Mount Saint Anthony Spring Garden Ulman Watkins West Aurora

Government and politics Political culture Like most counties in rural western Missouri, Miller County is very Republican. It hasn't supported a Democrat for president since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. The only other time it supported a Democrat in the 20th century was in 1912, when Woodrow Wilson carried the county against a mortally divided GOP. Lyndon B. Johnson is the last Democrat to garner even 40 percent of the county's vote.

Underlining how Republican the county has been over the years, it rejected native son Harry Truman in 1944 as Roosevelt's running mate, and when he headed the ticket himself in 1

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

State Gubernatorial + Past Gubernatorial Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202482.84% 10,63814.76% 1,8932.40% 308202082.82% 10,21215.31% 1,8881.87% 231201669.65% 7,92427.37% 3,1142.98% 339201259.85% 6,54736.67% 4,0123.48% 381200855.86% 6,41442.31% 4,8581.84% 211200467.76% 7,33131.15% 3,3701.09% 118200057.12% 5,34339.38% 3,6843.50% 327199645.28% 3,98451.76% 4,5542.97% 261

Missouri House of Representatives Miller County is divided into four legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, all of which are represented by Republicans.

District 58 — David Wood (R-Versailles). Consists of the city of Eldon.

District 59 — Mike Bernskoetter (R-Jefferson City). Consists of the community of Olean.

District 62 — Tom Hurst (R-Meta). Consists of the community of St. Elizabeth.

District 124 — Rocky Miller (R-Lake Ozark). Consists of most of the county, including the communities of Bagnell, Brumley, Iberia, Kaiser, Lake Ozark, Lakeside, Osage Beach, Tuscumbia, and Ulman.

Missouri Senate All of Miller County is a part of Missouri's 6th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Mike Kehoe (R-Jefferson City).

Federal US Senate

US House of Representatives All of Miller County is included in Missouri's 3rd Congressional District and is currently represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Presidential

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 1,406, than any candidate from either party in Miller County during the 2008 presidential primary.

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Miller County, Missouri

References

Further reading History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries and Osage counties, Missouri : from the earliest time to the present, including a department devoted to the preservation of sundry personal, business, professional and the private records; besides a valuable fund of notes, original observations, etc. etc. (1889) online

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