Dexter, Missouri - Wikipedia

City in Stoddard County, Missouri, United States City in Missouri, United States

Dexter, Missouri
City
Visitor center and grain towers along the railroad tracks
Location of Dexter, Missouri
Coordinates: 36°47′34″N 89°57′48″W / 36.79278°N 89.96333°W / 36.79278; -89.96333
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Stoddard
Government
• Mayor	Mark Snider
Area[1]
• Total	7.34 sq mi (19.01 km2)
• Land	7.21 sq mi (18.67 km2)
• Water	0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2)
Elevation[2]	390 ft (120 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	7,927
• Density	1,099.7/sq mi (424.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	63841
Area code	573
FIPS code	29-19396[3]
GNIS feature ID	2394530[2]

Dexter is a city in Stoddard County, Missouri, United States, founded in 1873. The population was 7,927 at the 2020 census.[4]

History

[edit]

Dexter was platted in 1873.[5] Mr. Dex, an early settler, gave the community the name of his horse, Dexter.[6] Dexter experienced rapid growth with the arrival of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway.[7] A post office called Dexter City was established in 1873, and the name was changed to Dexter in 1887.[8]

The Dexter Gymnasium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.[9]

On July 10, 2021, an EF2 tornado hit the town with at least 150 homes reported damaged.[10]

Geography

[edit]

Dexter is located 19 miles (31 km) southwest of Sikeston. Dexter is located on what is known as Crowley's Ridge. It is at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and Missouri Route 25.[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.65 square miles (17.22 km2), of which 6.52 square miles (16.89 km2) is land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km2) is water.[12]

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	489	—
1890	792	62.0%
1900	1,862	135.1%
1910	2,322	24.7%
1920	2,635	13.5%
1930	2,714	3.0%
1940	3,108	14.5%
1950	4,624	48.8%
1960	5,519	19.4%
1970	6,024	9.2%
1980	7,043	16.9%
1990	7,559	7.3%
2000	7,356	−2.7%
2010	7,864	6.9%
2020	7,927	0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

2020 census

[edit]

As of 2020, there were 7,927 people and 3,135 households living in Dexter.[14] There were 3,758 housing units. The racial makeup of Dexter was 91.0% White, 1.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 3.2% Hispanic/Latino, 0.1% other race, and 3.8% of two or more races. The median income for Dexter was $47,647 with 23.8% people in poverty. 17.1% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher while 45.5% had completed high school or equivalent.

35.7% of family households were married. 26.8% had only a male householder and 30.9% had only a female householder. The average family size was 3.12. 32.6% of people had never been married. 56.4% owned a home. The median gross rent was $717. The employment rate was 51.2%.

The media age was 38.0 years with 20.2% being over the age of 65. 26.0% were under the age of 18. Of the total population, 13.2% were veterans.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[15] of 2010, there were 7,865 people, 3,359 households, and 2,108 families living in the city. The population density was 1,206.1 inhabitants per square mile (465.7/km2). There were 3,666 housing units at an average density of 562.3 per square mile (217.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 3,359 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.6% male and 54.4% female.

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 7,356 people, 3,237 households, and 2,019 families living in the city. The population density was 1,208.0 inhabitants per square mile (466.4/km2). There were 3,560 housing units at an average density of 584.6 per square mile (225.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.31% White, 0.15% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 3,237 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,116, and the median income for a family was $32,175. Males had a median income of $26,724 versus $17,409 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,034. About 14.8% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

[edit]

Dexter has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Climate data for Dexter
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	43(6)	50(10)	60(16)	71(22)	80(27)	89(32)	92(33)	90(32)	83(28)	73(23)	58(14)	47(8)	70(21)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	26(−3)	31(−1)	39(4)	48(9)	58(14)	66(19)	70(21)	68(20)	60(16)	49(9)	39(4)	30(−1)	49(9)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.47(88)	3.64(92)	4.89(124)	4.27(108)	4.86(123)	4.21(107)	3.81(97)	3.22(82)	3.07(78)	3.08(78)	4.56(116)	4.83(123)	47.91(1,217)
Source: [16]

Education

[edit]

Dexter R-XI School District operates all of Dexter's public schools,[17] which includes Southwest and Central Elementary, T.S. Hill Middle School, and Dexter Senior High School.[18] There are currently 2,076 students attending as of the 2023-2024 school year.[19]

The town has a lending library, the Keller Public Library.[20] The library was dedicated to Dexter native, Edward Keller, in 1998.[21] In 2002, a statue honoring the Medal of Honor recipient Lt. George K. Sisler was placed in front of the Keller Public Library.[22]

Notable people

[edit]

• Clarence Paul Oliver (1898–1991), geneticist
• George K. Sisler, Medal of Honor recipient
• Clyde A. Vaughn, United States Army Lieutenant General and Director of the Army National Guard
• James P. Walker, politician. member of the House of Representatives.
• Max West, baseball player, member of Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame
• Orville Zimmerman, United States Representative for Missouri's 10th congressional district, was principal of Dexter High School, 1904-1909
• Patti McGuire, model, Playboy Playmate November 1976

See also

[edit]

• List of cities in Missouri

References

[edit]

1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dexter, Missouri
3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. ^ "Dexter city, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
5. ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1918). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 366.
6. ^ "Stoddard County Place Names, 1928–1945". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
7. ^ History of Southeast Missouri: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. pp. 389–390. ISBN 9780722207536. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
8. ^ "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
9. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
10. ^ "Confirmed EF-2 tornado in Dexter, MO". WSIL-TV. July 11, 2021.
11. ^ Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 1st ed., 1998, P.67, ISBN 0899332242
12. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
13. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
14. ^ "Dexter city, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. November 21, 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
16. ^ "Average weather for Dexter, Missouri". Weather.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
17. ^ Geography Division (January 12, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Stoddard County, MO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2023. - Text list
18. ^ "Home". Dexter R-XI School District. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
19. ^ "Dexter R-XI Public School District". November 16, 2025. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
20. ^ "Home". Keller Public Library. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
21. ^ "Library Mission & History". Keller Public Library. October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
22. ^ Mendoza, Norma (July 7, 2002). "Statue of 1st Lt. Sisler dedicated". The Intelligencer. Retrieved October 27, 2025.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dexter, Missouri.

• Historic maps of Dexter in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri

v t e Municipalities and communities of Stoddard County, Missouri, United States
County seat: Bloomfield
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