Manchester, Missouri

Manchester is a city in western St. Louis County, Missouri, a major outer-ring suburb in the St. Louis metropolitan area. It had a population of 18,094 at the 2010 census.

Manchester, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1825
Population	18,094 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	5.08 mi²
Current mayor	Mike Clement

History

The present site of Manchester first drew notice in the late 18th century due to a natural spring, whose especially pure water made it a popular stopping place for travelers. In 1800, the first permanent settler, Bryson O'Hara, put up an establishment, followed by Jesse Hoard, in whose honor the spot became known for a time as "Hoardstown." In 1825, however, an English visitor named it for his native city of Manchester, and the new title stuck. The community became a small but fairly well-known destination for those traveling west from St. Louis, and after the removal of the Missouri state capital to Jefferson City, a road laid out to connect the two in the 1830s eventually bore the name of "Manchester Road," at least in its easternmost section.

Like most communities in the western part of St. Louis County, Manchester remained relatively small and semi-rural until the mid-20th century, when a wave of suburbanization resulted in the rapid development of much of the region. In 1950, community leaders decided to incorporate as a village, this status in turn being upgraded to that of a 4th-class city in 1959. During the 1990s, two major annexations were enacted that more than doubled the city's land area and population. Since that time, Manchester's population has hovered at close to 20,000.

Geography

Manchester's original center is located near the intersection of Missouri State Highways 100 (Manchester Road) and 141 in west-central St. Louis County, about 16 miles west-southwest of downtown St. Louis. The annexations of the 1990s were largely to the south and southeast of this location, with Big Bend Road now marking its southernmost limit. The city shares a border with Twin Oaks and Valley Park to the south, and Ballwin and Winchester to the west. Its official coordinates are 38°35′03″N 90°30′27″W.

The city sits in gently rolling terrain, drained by a few small tributaries of the Meramec River to the south. It has a total land area of 5.08 square miles, and an average elevation of 577 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Manchester had a total of 18,094 inhabitants, grouped into 7,239 households, with a population density of 3,561.8 people per square mile. This figure represented a moderate decrease from the 2000 census, when Manchester had a population of 19,161. 87.55% of the inhabitants were White, 3.12% were African-American, 0.16% were Native American, 5.96% were Asian, 0.02% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.08% were from some other race, and 2.10% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.90% of the population.

The median age in Manchester was 38.9 years, with 23.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 7.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 26.2% between 25 and 44, 29.4% between 45 and 64, and 12.9% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.7% male, 51.3% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Manchester had a median household income of $79,414, and a median family income of $93,705. The unemployment rate was 4.3%. The per capita income was $41,472. About 7.5% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 years of age or older.

Government

Manchester has a mayor-council form of government, with the mayor and board of aldermen comprising the city's elected officials. There are six aldermen in all, two representing each of the city's three wards, while the mayor is chosen at-large. Elections for mayor and half the city's aldermen are held in April of even-numbered years, while the remaining aldermen are elected in April of odd-numbered years. The current mayor of Manchester is Mike Clement.

In the Missouri House of Representatives, Manchester is part of the 99th District, which has been represented since 2019 by Trish Gunby (D-Ballwin). Gunby is a self-described social justice warrior who has actively pushed the LGBT agenda within the United Methodist Church. In the Missouri State Senate, the northern part of the city is part of the 24th District, while the southern half belongs to the 15th District. These are respectively represented by Democrat Jill Schupp of Creve Coeur and Republican Andrew Koenig of Manchester, first elected in 2014 and 2016. The city is also part of Missouri's 2nd Congressional District, represented since 2013 by Ann Wagner (R-Ballwin).

Economy

Like most communities in west St. Louis County, Manchester has a typically "suburban" economic base, with retail trade and professional services being an especially large business sector. Major employers include such chain stores as Kohl's, Wal-Mart, and Dierberg's, a St. Louis-based grocery chain. Other important economic sectors include education (especially Parkway Schools) and health care.

Education

Manchester is served by the Parkway C-2 School District (also known as Parkway Schools), which encompasses a large portion of west-central St. Louis County. As part of the "South Area" subdivision, its students are served by the following schools:

• Elementary (grades K-5): Barretts, Carman Trails, Hanna Woods, Oak Brook, Sorrento Springs, Wren Hollow
• Middle (grades 6-8): South Middle and Southwest Middle
• High (grades 9-12): Parkway South High School

Opened in 1976 during America's bicentennial celebration, Parkway South High School's mascot is the Patriots, and the school colors are red, white, and blue. As of 2021, it had an enrollment of over 1,600 students.

Community Life

Manchester has a number of large and well-attended churches. These include St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Manchester United Methodist Church, Faith Lutheran of West St. Louis County, and St. John United Church of Christ.

The city operates six public parks, the largest of these being Paul Schroeder Park off Old Meramec Station Road. It contains an aquatic facility, an amphitheater, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts, and a disc golf course.