Missouri

Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning "canoe", is a U.S. state in the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. It is a Midwestern state, with some Northern, Eastern, and Southern cultural influences. The state's nickname is the Show-Me State; the U.S. Post Office abbreviation for Missouri is MO and the state public university's main campus is located in Columbia. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers are the two large rivers which flow through this state.

Demographics

As of 2004, the population of Missouri was estimated to be 5,754,618. This includes 194,000 foreign-born (3.4% of the state population). The state's population has increased by 638,000 since 1990, a growth of 12.5%.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Race and ancestry

The racial makeup of the state and comparison to the prior census:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The five largest ancestry groups in Missouri are: German (23.5%), Irish (12.7%), American (10.5%), English (9.5%), French (3.5%). 'American' includes those reported as Native American or African American.

Related Topics:
German - Irish - English - French - African American

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

German-Americans are a large ancestry group present in most of Missouri. In southern Missouri, most residents are of British/American ancestry. The northern edge of the state also has a high proportion of residents of British and American ancestry. Blacks are a populous minority in the City of St. Louis and central Kansas City and are also an important minority in the southeastern bootheel and the Missouri River Valley, areas where plantation agriculture was once important. Missouri Creoles of French ancestry are concentrated in the Mississippi River valley south of St. Louis.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

6.6% of its population were reported as under 5, 25.5% under 18, and 13.5% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

3.4% of Missourians are foreign-born, and 5.1% speak a language other than English at home. The 1997 birth and death rates were:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Births:74,037

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Deaths:54,322

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Infant deaths:564

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

81.3% were high school graduates (higher than the national average) while 21.6% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The mean commute time to work was 23.8 minutes. The homeownership rate in 2000 was 70.3% with the mean value of the owner occupied dwelling being $89,900. There were 2,194,594 households with 2.48 people per household. The median household money income for 1999 was $37,934 with the 1999 Per Capita Money Income of $19,936. There were 11.7% (637,891) Missourians living below the poverty line in 1999.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Missouri:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Christian – 83%
• Protestant – 62%
• Baptist (mostly Southern Baptist) – 23%
• Methodist – 8%
• Lutheran – 4%
• Episcopal – 4%
• Other Protestant – 23%
• Roman Catholic – 20%
• Other Christian – 1%
• Other Religions – 1%
• Non-Religious – 16%

Of those Missourians who identify with a religion, three in four are Protestants. There is also a moderate-sized Catholic community present in the some parts of the state; approximately one out of five Missourians are Catholics. Heavily Catholic areas include Kansas City and St. Louis.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A number of religious organizations have their headquarters in Missouri, including the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, which has its headquarters in Kirkwood, outside St. Louis. Kansas City is the headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene. Independence, outside of Kansas City, is the headquarters for the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), and the Latter Day Saints group Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Springfield is the headquarters of the Assemblies of God.

Related Topics:
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod - Kirkwood - Church of the Nazarene - Independence - Community of Christ - Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - Latter Day Saints - Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - Assemblies of God

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Culture

There is an idiom "being from Missouri" which relates to the state's unofficial slogan: "show me" (which even appears on their license plates). People from Missouri have a reputation for being skeptical. (See http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/6d7ce/515/ and

Related Topics:
Idiom - License plate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/slogan.asp.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~