Essex, Missouri

Essex is a city located along U.S. Route 60 in east-central Stoddard County, Missouri. The population was 472 at the 2010 census.

Essex was founded in 1873 and named for one Mr. Essex, an engineer for the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which was extended through the area in that year.

Geography

Essex is located approximately six miles east of Dexter, on the south side of U.S. Route 60. State Highway 114 also runs through the town. It lies entirely within the flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain of Southeast Missouri.

The town has a total land area of 0.29 square miles, and an average elevation of 299 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Essex had a total population of 472, with 196 households and a population density of 1,627.6 inhabitants per square mile. 98.1% of the inhabitants were White, 0.6% were African-American, 0.2% were Native American, and 1.1% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.1% of the population.

The median age was 39.3 years. 23.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.4% was between the age of 18 and 24, 21.6% was between the age of 25 and 44, 28.6% was between the age of 45 and 64, and 15.3% was 65 years old or older. The sex ratio in the city was 49.4% male, 50.6% female.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median household income in Essex was $27,708, and the median family income was $38,750. The unemployment rate was 13.0%, among the highest in Stoddard County. The per capita income was $19,567. 24.7% of the population was below the poverty line, including 36.1% of those under the age of 18 and 26.3% of those 65 years old or older.

Education

Public school students in Essex and the surrounding area are served by the Richland R-1 School District, a K-12 system located just east of town on Highway 114. The school was created in 1962 through the consolidation of the Essex and Grayridge school districts, and was named for the Richland Township, which received its name thanks to the rich soil of the bottomlands. The Richland mascot is the Rebels, and its colors are red, gray, and white.

In 2018, Richland Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, in recognition of its high academic achievements.