Greene County, Missouri

Greene County is located in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 298,915. making it the fourth most-populous county in Missouri.

Its county seat and most-populous city is Springfield. The county was organized in 1833 and is named after American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Greene County is included in the Springfield metropolitan area. It is in the area of the Ozark Mountains and foothills.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 678 sqmi, of which 675 sqmi is land and 2.6 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Polk County (north)
 * Dallas County (northeast)
 * Webster County (east)
 * Christian County (south)
 * Lawrence County (southwest)
 * Dade County (northwest)

National protected area

 * Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 240,391 people, 97,859 households, and 61,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 356 PD/sqmi. There were 104,517 housing units at an average density of 155 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 93.54% White, 2.26% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Approximately 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 97,859 households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.30% under the age of 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,185, and the median income for a family was $56,047. Males had a median income of $30,672 versus $21,987 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,770. About 7.60% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

There are 190,417 registered voters in Greene County.

Emergency services
Republic and Springfield have city fire departments. Additionally, the county is served by the following fire districts:
 * Ash Grove
 * Battlefield
 * Billings
 * Bois D'arc
 * Brookline
 * Ebenezer
 * Fair Grove
 * Logan-Rogersville
 * Strafford
 * Walnut Grove
 * West Republic
 * Willard

Law enforcement is provided by the Greene County Sheriffs Office. The current sheriff is Jim C. Arnott.

Local
The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Greene County.

State House of Representatives
Greene County is divided into eight legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives; six of which are held by Republicans and two Democratic seats.
 * District 130 — Bishop Davidson (R-Springfield). The district includes the northern part the city of Springfield and rural area of north-central Greene County.


 * District 131 — Bill Owen (R-Springfield). The district includes the northern part the city of Springfield and rural area of north-central Greene County.


 * District 132 — Crystal Quade (D-Springfield). The district is based entirely in the city of Springfield.


 * District 133 — Curtis Trent (R-Springfield). The district includes Battlefield and a part of the city of Springfield.


 * District 134 — Alex Riley (R-Springfield). The district includes part of the city of Springfield.


 * District 135 — Betsy Fogle (D-Springfield). The district exists entirely within the city of Springfield.


 * District 136 — Craig Fishel (R-Springfield). The district includes parts of the city of Springfield and some rural area southeast of the city.


 * District 137 — John Black (R-Marshfield). The district includes the communities of Fair Grove, Rogersville, and Strafford, as well as a large portion of Webster County.

State Senate
Greene County is also divided into two districts in the Missouri Senate, both of which represented by Republicans; District 20, representing large parts of Greene and Christian County, and District 30, representing mostly the city of Springfield.





Federal
All of Greene County is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is currently represented by Billy Long (R-Springfield) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture
Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Greene County has long been a Republican stronghold. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump carried Greene County by a margin of 60% to 33%.

The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Greene County was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

In 2004, state residents voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. This passed Greene County with 72.04 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters; Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it narrowly failed in Greene County with 51.62 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research.

Despite Greene County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes, such as increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Greene County with 74.41 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri, with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage. In 2020, Greene County was one of only eight counties in Missouri and the only one outside St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia to vote yes on Amendment 2 to expand Medicaid. Its voters recognized they could be helped by such expansion; the measure passed Greene County with 52.3 percent of the vote and statewide with 53.3 percent.

Republicans hold all county-level elected offices. However, the county has been known to support Democrats in statewide races. Mel Carnahan carried the county in both of his runs for governor, as did Jay Nixon. In 2000, Bob Holden's victory in the county provided the margin that allowed him to defeat Jim Talent statewide.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
Voters in Greene County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. During the 2008 presidential primary, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 18,322, in Greene County than any other candidate from either party.

Public schools

 * Ash Grove R-IV School District - Ash Grove
 * Ash Grove Elementary School - (PK-06)
 * Bois D'Arc Elementary School - (K-06) - Bois D'Arc
 * Ash Grove High School - (07-12)
 * Fair Grove R-X School District] - Fair Grove
 * Fair Grove Elementary School - (K-04)
 * Fair Grove Middle School - (05-08)
 * Fair Grove High School - (09-12)
 * Logan-Rogersville R-VIII School District - Rogersville
 * Logan-Rogersville Primary School - (PK-01)
 * Logan-Rogersville Elementary School - (02-03)
 * Logan-Rogersville Upper Elementary School - (04-06)
 * Logan-Rogersville Middle School - (07-08)
 * Logan-Rogersville High School - (09-12)
 * Republic R-III School District - Republic
 * Republic Kindergarten School - (K)
 * Republic Elementary School I - (01-02)
 * Republic Elementary School II - (03-04)
 * Republic Elementary School III - (05-06)
 * Republic Middle School - (07-08)
 * Republic High School - (09-12)
 * Springfield R-XII School District - Springfield
 * Shady Dell Early Childhood Center - (PK) - Springfield
 * York Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Williams Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Wilder Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Westport Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Weller Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Weaver Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Watkins Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Truman Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Sunshine Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Sherwood Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Sequiota Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Rountree Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Robberson Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Portland Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Pleasant View Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Pittman Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Pershing Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * McGregor Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * McBride Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield
 * Mark Twain Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Walt Disney Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Jeffries Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Horace Mann Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Holland Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Hickory Hills Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Gray Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield
 * Fremont Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Field Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Delaware Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * David Harrison Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield
 * Cowden Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Campbell Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Boyd Elementary School - (PK-05) - Springfield
 * Bowerman Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Bissett Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Bingham Elementary School - (K-05) - Springfield
 * Wilson's Creek 5-6 Intermediate Center - (05-06) - Battlefield
 * Study Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Reed Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Pleasant View Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Pipkin Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Pershing Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Jarrett Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Hickory Hills Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Cherokee Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Carver Middle School - (06-08) - Springfield
 * Parkview High School - (09-12) - Springfield
 * Kickapoo High School - (09-12) - Springfield
 * Hillcrest High School - (09-12) - Springfield
 * Glendale High School - (09-12) - Springfield
 * Central High School - (09-12) - Springfield
 * Strafford R-VI School District - Strafford
 * Strafford Elementary School - (K-04)
 * Strafford Middle School - (05-08)
 * Strafford High School - (09-12)
 * Walnut Grove R-V School District - Walnut Grove
 * Walnut Grove Preschool (PK)
 * Walnut Grove Elementary School - (K-06)
 * Walnut Grove High School - (07-12)
 * Willard R-II School District - Willard
 * Willard North Elementary School - (PK-04) - Willard
 * Willard East Elementary School - (K-04) - Willard
 * Willard South Elementary School - (PK-04) - Springfield
 * Willard Central Elementary School - (K-04) - Springfield
 * Willard Intermediate School - (05-06) - Willard
 * Willard Middle School - (07-08) - Willard
 * Willard High School - (09-12) - Willard

Private schools

 * Christian Schools of Springfield - (PK-12) - Springfield - Baptist
 * Grace Classical Academy - (PK-12) - Springfield - Nondenominational Christianity
 * Greenwood Laboratory School - (K-12) - Springfield - Nonsectarian
 * Immaculate Conception School - (PK-8) - Springfield - Roman Catholic
 * New Covenant Academy - (PK-12) - Springfield - Nondenominatonal Christianity
 * Springfield Catholic High School - (09-12) - Springfield - Roman Catholic
 * Springfield Lutheran School - (PS-8) - Springfield - Lutheran MO Synod
 * St. Agnes Cathedral School - (PK-8) - Springfield - Roman Catholic
 * St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School - (PK-5) - Springfield - Roman Catholic
 * The Summit Preparatory School of Southwest Missouri - (PK-12) - Springfield - Nonsectarian

Alternative/other schools

 * Bailey Educational Center - (09-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School
 * Community Learning Center - (06-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School
 * Datema House - (05-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School
 * Excel School - (06-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School
 * Graff Career Center - (09-12) - Springfield - Vocational/Technical School
 * Greene County Special Education Cooperative - (K-12) - Republic - Special Education
 * Greene Valley - Springfield - Special Education
 * Phelps Gifted Center - (01-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School/Gifted Education
 * Wilson Creek Group Home - (06-12) - Springfield - Alternative/Other School

Colleges and universities

 * Missouri State University - Springfield - Formerly known as Southwest Missouri State University - A public, four-year university.
 * Evangel University - Springfield - A private, four-year Pentecostal liberal arts university.
 * Drury University - Springfield - A private, four-year liberal arts university.
 * Mission University (formerly Baptist Bible College) - Springfield - A private, conservative Bible college owned by the Baptist Bible Fellowship International.
 * Ozarks Technical Community College - Springfield - A public, two-year community college.
 * Ozarks Technical Community College - Republic - A public, two-year community college.
 * Everest College - Springfield - A public, four-year for-profit Corinthian college.
 * Columbia College Springfield Campus - Springfield - A private, four-year college.
 * Bryan University Springfield Campus - Springfield - A private, four-year university.
 * Cox College - Springfield - A private, four-year non-profit nursing college.
 * University of Missouri Springfield Clinical Campus - Springfield - A public, four-year university.

Public libraries

 * Springfield-Greene County Library

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-44 (MO).svg|x20px]] Interstate 44
 * [[Image:US 60.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 60
 * [[Image:US 65.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 65
 * [[Image:US 66.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 66 (1926–1979)
 * [[Image:US 160.svg|x20px]] U.S. Route 160
 * [[Image:MO-13.svg|x20px]] Route 13
 * [[Image:MO-125.svg|x20px]] Route 125
 * [[Image:MO-266.svg|x20px]] Route 266
 * [[Image:MO-360.svg|x20px]] Route 360
 * [[Image:MO-413.svg|x20px]] Route 413
 * [[Image:MO-744.svg|x20px]] Route 744

Transit

 * City Utilities of Springfield
 * Springfield Transit Services
 * Greyhound Lines
 * Jefferson Lines

Airports

 * Springfield-Branson National Airport
 * Springfield Downtown Airport

Cities and towns

 * Ash Grove
 * Battlefield
 * Fair Grove
 * Republic
 * Rogersville
 * Springfield (county seat)
 * Strafford
 * Walnut Grove
 * Willard

Unincorporated communities

 * Avalon Park
 * Bois D'Arc
 * Cave Spring
 * Cody
 * Ebenezer
 * Elwood
 * Glidewell
 * Hackney
 * Harold
 * Haseltine
 * Hickory Barren
 * Logan
 * Mentor
 * Mumford
 * Oak Grove Heights
 * Palmetto
 * Pearl
 * Phenix
 * Plano
 * Turners