Wyatt, Missouri

Wyatt is a city in northeastern Mississippi County, Missouri. Its population was 319 at the 2010 census.

History

The first settlement in the Wyatt area was in 1881 and designated "Pevey Switch," after "Peavine," the nickname for the local railroad. It went through several name changes in the next few years, before receiving its permanent name in honor of William Wyatt, a local landowner and sometime postmaster.

The railroad running through Wyatt was abandoned in 1938, but an oil pipeline was later laid down to connect with barge traffic on the Mississippi River.

Geography

Wyatt is located near the junction of U.S. Route 62 and Missouri State Highway 77 in Mississippi County, about six miles east of Charleston and an equal distance west of the Mississippi River. The village of Wilson City directly adjoins Wyatt to the north. Its exact coordinates are 36°55’09”N 89°12’36”W. Wyatt is the easternmost incorporated community in Missouri, and the easternmost community west of the Mississippi River.

The city has a total area of 1.23 square miles (including a long narrow strip along U.S. 62), and an average elevation of 315 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Wyatt had a total of 319 inhabitants, grouped into 135 households, with a population density of 272.6 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant decrease from the 2000 census, when Wyatt had a population of 364. 84.33% of the inhabitants were White, 15.05% were African-American, and 0.63% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 0.31% of the population.

The median age in Wyatt was 37.9 years, with 27.0% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.5% between 25 and 44, 27.6% between 45 and 64, and 15.0% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 50.5% male, 49.5% female.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median household income in Wyatt was $38,281, and the median family income was $22,813. The unemployment rate was 6.0%. The per capita income was $16,130. About 32.6% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 61.0% of people under the age of 18 and 14.9% of people 65 years old or older.