Ozark, Missouri

Not to be confused with Ozark County, Missouri.

Ozark, Missouri
City
Location of Ozark, Missouri
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Christian
Area
• Total	11.15 sq mi (28.88 km2)
• Land	11.10 sq mi (28.75 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2)
Elevation	1,168 ft (356 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	17,820
• Estimate (2013)	18,606
• Density	1,605.4/sq mi (619.8/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	65721
Area code(s)	417
FIPS code	29-55766
GNIS feature ID	0723933

Ozark, incorporated in 1890, is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. The population was 17,820 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County. Ozark is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Area, and is centered along a business loop of U.S. Route 65, where it intersects with Missouri Route 14. It is south of Springfield and north of Branson.

History

Ozark was named from the Ozarks, in which it is situated.

Geography

Ozark is located at (37.027111, −93.209572). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.15 square miles (28.88 km²), of which, 11.10 square miles (28.75 km²) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	235		—
1890	490		108.5%
1900	830		69.4%
1910	813		−2.0%
1920	798		−1.8%
1930	885		10.9%
1940	961		8.6%
1950	1,087		13.1%
1960	1,536		41.3%
1970	2,384		55.2%
1980	2,980		25.0%
1990	4,243		42.4%
2000	9,665		127.8%
2010	17,820		84.4%
Est. 2014	18,871		5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2012, press reports described Ozark as the fastest-growing city in Missouri.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,820 people, 6,603 households, and 4,689 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,605.4 inhabitants per square mile (619.8/km²). There were 7,311 housing units at an average density of 658.6 per square mile (254.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.2% White, 0.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 6,603 households of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.14.

The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 30.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.6% were from 25 to 44; 19.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,665 people, 3,635 households, and 2,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,280.8 people per square mile (494.3/km²). There were 3,853 housing units at an average density of 510.6 per square mile (197.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.36% White, 0.71% Native American, 0.33% African American, 0.30% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.70% of the population.

There were 3,635 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,210, and the median income for a family was $40,069. Males had a median income of $30,599 versus $21,794 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,912. About 10.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Ozark is home to Simclar Interconnect Technologies, a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) Simclar Group factory, providing backplane fabrication for telecommunications and data communications customers. In 2007, Simclar moved 115 jobs to Ozark from Springfield, lured by a "tax incentive under which the company donated $1 million to a local not-for-profit corporation, which in turn will buy buildings, machinery and equipment and lease them back to Simclar."

The Springfield/Ozark Mountain Ducks were an independent baseball team playing in the Central Baseball League from 1998 to 2003; Price Cutter Park, which was built in early 1999, was their home field.

In 2011, B&B Theatres built a cinema between Ozark and Nixa along Route 14. The Belltower Chapel, originally the Ozark Christian Church, was built in 1912 and is located off of the Historic Courthouse Square in Ozark; since its 21st-century renovation it serves as a venue for weddings and other events.

Politics

Ozark is part of Missouri's 7th congressional district.

Notable people

• Grant Hodges, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Benton County since 2015, former Ozark resident.
• Lucas Harrell, Major League baseball player for the Houston Astros.

External links

• Official website
• Historic maps of Ozark in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri
• Christian County Headliner, the website of the local newspaper
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