Harrison County is a county located in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,957. Its county seat is Bethany. The county was organized February 14, 1845 and named for U.S. Representative Albert G. Harrison of Missouri.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
As of the 2010 census, there were 8,957 people, 3,669 households and 2,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile. There were 4,407 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 97.55% White, 0.36% Native American, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.20% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races and 0.93% from two or more races. Approximately 1.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,669 households out of which 29.79% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.51% were married couples living together, 8.29% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.92% were non-families. 28.26% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.31% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.93. In the county, the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 7.18% from 18 to 24, 20.88% from 25 to 44, 26.44% from 45 to 64 and 20.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females there were 98.47 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.79 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,000 and the median income for a family was $47,788. Males had a median income of $33,105 versus $25,388 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,967. About 10.3% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report, evangelical Protestantism is the most common religion among adherents in Harrison County, although 37.69% of the population does not claim any religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Harrison County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists, United Methodists and Disciples of Christ.
The Republican Party controls politics at the local level in Harrison County. Republicans hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.
State
Harrison County is a part of Missouri's 2nd District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is represented by . Harrison County is a part of Missouri’s 12th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by .
Harrison County is often carried by Republican candidates. The last time a Democratic candidate has won the county was in 1992 by Bill Clinton: however, the victory was of a margin of.7%. At the presidential level, Harrison County is reliably Republican. George W. Bush carried the county easily in 2000 and 2004. Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Harrison County in 1992. Like many of the rural counties throughout Missouri, Harrison County strongly favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. Like most rural areas throughout northwest Missouri, voters in Harrison County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly won in Harrison County with 81% of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71% support from voters. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Harrison County with 56% voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51% of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Harrison County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Harrison County with 61% of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 79% voting in favor.
Missouri presidential preference primaries
2012
In the 2012 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary, voters in Harrison County supported former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, who finished first in the state at large, but ultimately lost the nomination to former Governor Mitt Romney. Delegates were chosen at a county caucus that ultimately selected an uncommitted delegation.
2008
Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton received more votes, a total of 436, than any candidate from either party in Harrison County during the 2008 presidential primary.
