Only one other state in the U.S. has as many neighbors as the landlocked state of Missouri, which borders eight states: Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee (the other state with eight neighbors), Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. The "Show-Me State" covers 69,707 square miles (mi²) and has an estimated 2023 population of 6,204,710 people (1.84% of the national total), the 21st-largest in the U.S.
As in many states, Missouri's population is unevenly spread. Of the state's 25 most populous cities, six are clustered in the area of Kansas City (pop. 522,580), and 13 are located in the greater St Louis (pop. 296,262) area.
Historically, Missouri is known for its role in the Western Expansion of the United States. It was the eastern send-off point for the Pony Express, the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and the California Trail. Currently, Missouri is the third-largest beef producer in the United States.
Missouri gained statehood in August 1821. A Midwestern state bordering the south, Missouri was an actual bellwether state through the 20th Century. From 1904 through 2004, Missourians got it wrong just once – preferring Adlai Stevenson over Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. In 2008, the streak ended when Barack Obama lost to John McCain by the slenderest of margins, 49.4% to 49.3%, or about 3,900 votes out of 2.93 million cast. Obama lost here again in 2012, this time by 9.5%. Donald Trump easily won both times he was on the ballot, most recently defeating Joe Biden by over 15% in 2020.
As 2020 marked the 6th consecutive Republican win, it is becoming a reliable state for the GOP in presidential elections. Like many Midwestern states, population growth has been slower in recent decades than in the country, resulting in declining electoral influence. From a peak of 18 electoral votes just before the Great Depression, Missouri has been reduced to 10 today.
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this state's local governments consist of five counties, 351 cities, towns, and villages, and 415 special districts. Nine counties—Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Suffolk, and Worcester—have been abolished and are classified as nonfunctioning legal entities.[1]
The median age in Missouri is approximately 38.3. The ratio of females to males is approximately 50.9% female and 49.1% male.
Regarding preferred religions among the state's population, 77% are affiliated with a Christian-based faith, 3% are involved in non-Christian-based faiths, and 20% are unaffiliated with any faith.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Missouri was:
White: 80.28%
Black or African American: 11.33%
Two or more races: 4.55%
Asian: 2.01%
Other race: 1.37%
Native American: 0.32%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.14%
Muslims are under 75,000
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