Buchanan County

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 415 square miles (1,070 km2), of which 408 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 6.6 square miles (17 km2) (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

Source:

Transit

St. Joseph Transit

Jefferson Lines

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 84,793, the median age was 39.1 years, 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.7 males age 18 and over. 86.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 13.7% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 82.6% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.5% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 7.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.6% of the population.

There were 33,882 households in the county, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 38,258 housing units, of which 11.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.1% were owner-occupied and 36.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.

2000 census

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/km2). There were 36,574 housing units at an average density of 89 units per square mile (34/km2). 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%).

Education

School districts include:

Buchanan County R-IV School District

East Buchanan County C-1 School District

Mid-Buchanan County R-V School District

St. Joseph School District

North Platte County R-I School District

Public schools

Four school districts operate schools in the county boundaries:

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)

Private schools

Baptist Temple Schools – St. Joseph (K-12) – Baptist

Bishop LeBlond High School – St. Joseph (9-12) – Roman Catholic

Cathedral School & Early Childhood Center – St. Joseph (NS/PK-08) – Roman Catholic

Prescott Seventh-day Adventist School – St. Joseph (02-08) – Seventh-day Adventist

South Park Christian Academy – St. Joseph (K-12) – Pentecostal

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. Joseph KinderCare – St. Joseph (NS-PK)

St. Paul Lutheran School – St. Joseph (K-09) – Lutheran

Colleges and Universities

Missouri Western State University

Public libraries

Rolling Hills Consolidated Library—Belt Branch

Saint Joseph Public Library

Communities

Census-designated place

Faucett

Townships

Buchanan County is divided into 12 townships:

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Buchanan County.

† County seat†† Partly within an adjacent county

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

Buchanan County is split between three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, all of which are held by Republicans.

District 10 – Bill Falkner (R-St. Joseph). The district is entirely based in the city of St. Joseph.

District 11 – Brenda Shields (R-St. Joseph). Consists of the southern part of the county.

District 13 – Sean Pouche (R-Kansas City). Consists of some of the eastern parts of the county.

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).

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 a thirteenth term in 2024 over Democratic challenger Pam May.

Buchanan County, along with the rest of the state of Missouri, is represented in the U.S. Senate by Josh Hawley (R-Columbia) and Eric Schmitt (R-Bridgeton).

Hawley was elected to a second term in 2024 over U.S. Marine veteran Lucas Kunce.

Schmitt was elected to a first term in the 2022 over Democrat Trudy Bush Valentine.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.