Mexico is a city located in Audrain County, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,320. It is the county seat of Audrain CountyTemplate:GR. Citizens of Mexico, Missouri are known as "Mexicoans" and not "Mexicans".
Geography
Mexico is located at 39°9'57" North, 91°53'5" West (39.165814, -91.884761)Template:GR. N.E. of the centre of the state, and about 50 m. N.W. of St Louis.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.3 km² (11.7 mi²). 29.4 km² (11.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.90% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 11,320 people, 4,804 households, and 3,021 families residing in the city. The population density was 384.4/km² (995.7/mi²). There were 5,301 housing units at an average density of 180.0/km² (466.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.79% White, 9.19% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,804 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,714, and the median income for a family was $39,406. Males had a median income of $30,266 versus $21,190 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,845. 13.8% of the population and 10.0% of families were below the poverty line. 19.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
History
Mexico was laid out as "New Mexico" in 1836, and became the county seat under its present name in 1837. It was incorporated as a town in 1855, was entered by the Wabash road in 1858 and by the Alton in 1872, and was first chartered as a city in 1874.
The city is situated in the blue grass region of Missouri, and was a shipping-point for horses and mules. Among the manufactures (1911) are flour, shoes and fire-clay products.
Mexico was served (1911) by the Chicago & Alton, the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy, and the Wabash railway systems.
Mexico is the home of Hardin College and Conservatory of Music, a Baptist college established in 1873 for young women, an institution founded and endowed by Charles H. Hardin (1820-1892), governor of the state in 1872-1874, and of the Missouri Military Academy (1889). Hardin College closed during the Great Depression and never re-opened.
Tyronn Lue, a basketball player with the Atlanta Hawks, was born in Mexico, but grew up in the Kansas City suburb of Raytown, Missouri.
In December 2005, Mexico started up a local version of Bono's national ONE Campaign, To Make Poverty History.
External links
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public ___domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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