Clark County is located in the far northeastern corner of Missouri, along the Mississippi River opposite Illinois, with the Des Moines River forming part of its northern boundary with Iowa. Established in 1836 and named for William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the county sits within the broader “Little Dixie” region of northeast Missouri, shaped by early settlement patterns along major rivers. Clark County is small in population—about 6,500 residents as of the 2020 census—and remains predominantly rural. Its landscape includes river bottoms, wetlands, and rolling farmland, supporting an economy centered on agriculture and related services, with smaller concentrations of employment in government, education, and local trade. Cultural life reflects small-town institutions and river-oriented geography, with communities tied to nearby regional centers across the Mississippi River. The county seat is Kahoka.

Clark County Local Demographic Profile

Clark County is Missouri’s northeasternmost county, located along the Mississippi River at the state line with Illinois (adjacent to the Quincy, IL region). For local government and planning resources, visit the Clark County, Missouri official website.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Clark County, Missouri, the county’s population was 6,923 (July 1, 2023 estimate). The same source reports a 2020 population of 6,973.

Age & Gender

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Clark County, Missouri:

  • Age (percent of population)
    • Under 5 years: 4.6%
    • Under 18 years: 19.5%
    • 65 years and over: 25.7%
  • Gender (percent of population)
    • Female persons: 49.1%
    • Male persons: 50.9%
    • Approximate gender ratio: ~104 males per 100 females (derived from the percentages above)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Clark County, Missouri (race categories reflect the Census Bureau’s QuickFacts presentation):

  • White alone: 94.9%
  • Black or African American alone: 1.2%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.2%
  • Asian alone: 0.1%
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.0%
  • Two or more races: 3.6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 1.4%

Household & Housing Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Clark County, Missouri:

  • Housing units: 3,323
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 78.2%
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $113,400
  • Median gross rent: $640
  • Households
    • The QuickFacts profile page provides household and housing indicators; not all tables display an explicit county household count in the same section view. For a definitive household count and additional household structure measures, use the Census Bureau’s data.census.gov portal and select Clark County, Missouri with the relevant American Community Survey (ACS) table (for example, household totals and household type tables).

Email Usage

Clark County, Missouri is a rural, low-density county where longer last‑mile distances and fewer providers can constrain home internet options, making digital communication (including email) more dependent on available broadband and device access.

Direct county-level email usage rates are generally not published; email adoption is typically inferred from proxy indicators such as broadband subscriptions, computer/smartphone access, and age structure reported by the U.S. Census Bureau data portal (American Community Survey).

Digital access indicators: ACS tables on household internet subscriptions (including broadband types) and device availability (desktop/laptop, smartphone, tablet) provide the primary county benchmarks for likely email access, since routine email use generally requires reliable connectivity and a usable device.

Age distribution: ACS age distributions indicate the share of older residents versus working-age adults; older age profiles are commonly associated with lower adoption of some digital services, influencing overall email take-up.

Gender distribution: County gender splits are available in ACS and can be cited, but are typically less predictive of email access than age and connectivity.

Connectivity limitations: Rural infrastructure constraints and service variability are reflected in federal broadband availability mapping such as the FCC National Broadband Map.

Mobile Phone Usage

Clark County is a small, rural county in the far northeast corner of Missouri along the Mississippi River, bordering Iowa and Illinois. The county’s low population density, extensive agricultural land, and river/bluff terrain typical of the Mississippi corridor influence mobile connectivity by increasing the distance between towers and raising the likelihood of coverage variability outside incorporated towns and along less-traveled roads. Background geographic and demographic context is available through the U.S. Census Bureau’s county profile resources such as data.census.gov.

Key distinction: network availability vs. household adoption

  • Network availability refers to where mobile carriers report service (coverage footprints, technology generation such as LTE/5G, and advertised speeds).
  • Household adoption refers to whether residents actually subscribe to mobile service and use mobile broadband (including smartphone ownership and mobile-only internet reliance).

County-level adoption indicators are often limited or are only available through multi-county surveys or modeled estimates; federal coverage availability datasets are more standardized than adoption datasets at the county scale.

Network availability (coverage) in Clark County

FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) – reported mobile broadband coverage

The most authoritative nationwide source for reported mobile broadband availability is the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection. The FCC publishes:

  • Mobile broadband availability by provider and technology (e.g., LTE, 5G variants) as carrier-submitted coverage polygons
  • Map-based visualization and periodic data releases

Relevant sources:

Limitations at county scale: FCC mobile coverage is self-reported by providers and can overstate real-world performance in fringe areas; it is best interpreted as availability claims rather than measured service quality. Terrain, tower loading, and in-building signal can materially differ from map polygons, especially in rural counties.

4G LTE and 5G availability (general pattern for rural northeast Missouri)

  • 4G LTE is typically the dominant wide-area mobile coverage layer in rural Missouri counties and is the baseline technology most residents rely on for mobile broadband outside town centers.
  • 5G availability in rural counties is commonly concentrated near population centers, along major corridors, and where providers have upgraded radios and backhaul. Availability varies by carrier and by 5G type (low-band coverage vs. higher-capacity mid-band deployments).
  • For Clark County specifically, carrier-by-carrier 4G/5G availability should be referenced directly in the FCC map rather than inferred from statewide patterns.

For state-level broadband planning context and map references (including use of FCC data and local challenge processes), see the Missouri Department of Economic Development broadband program pages.

Household adoption and mobile access indicators (what residents actually use)

County-level adoption: limited direct measures for mobile subscriptions

Publicly accessible, county-specific statistics for mobile subscription adoption (e.g., percent of households with a smartphone plan, mobile broadband subscription rate by provider) are not consistently published as direct county estimates.

The most commonly cited public indicators related to household connectivity come from the American Community Survey (ACS) and are available via:

Important limitation: ACS tables focus more on internet subscription and device availability than on carrier-level mobile subscription. ACS can describe:

  • Whether a household has an internet subscription (sometimes categorized by type such as cellular data plan vs. cable/fiber/DSL, depending on table vintage)
  • Whether a household has computing devices (desktop/laptop/tablet/smartphone, depending on table structure)

County-level values for these indicators are available through ACS queries on data.census.gov, but the specific mobile-only breakdown can vary by year/table, and margins of error can be large in low-population counties.

Mobile-only reliance (cellular data plan as the household internet connection)

Where available in ACS “computer and internet use” tables, a key adoption indicator is households that rely on a cellular data plan as their internet service. This measure is useful in rural counties where fixed broadband options may be limited in some areas. Interpretability at the county level depends on:

  • The ACS table year and category definitions
  • Sampling variability (notably in small counties)

Mobile internet usage patterns (how mobile networks are used)

Technology use: LTE as the baseline; 5G varies by location

In rural counties such as Clark County, mobile internet use patterns typically reflect:

  • LTE as the primary technology layer for general coverage
  • 5G availability that can be uneven and more common near towns/denser clusters, depending on carrier deployment

County-specific confirmation of 5G coverage is best obtained by:

Performance and reliability factors (availability vs. experience)

Even where a mobile technology is “available” on maps, typical rural usage can be affected by:

  • In-building attenuation (especially in older structures or metal-sided buildings common in rural areas)
  • Cell-edge performance due to tower spacing
  • Backhaul constraints in sparsely served areas These are experience factors and are not directly measured by FCC availability polygons.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

Smartphones as the primary endpoint for mobile connectivity

At the household level, smartphones are generally the most common mobile-connected device and are also the device most associated with “cellular data plan” internet access categories in Census reporting. Tablets and laptops can also use mobile data via:

  • Built-in cellular modems (less common than phones)
  • Hotspot/tethering from a phone
  • Dedicated hotspot devices

County-specific device-type splits (e.g., percent smartphone vs. flip phone) are not typically published in official county datasets. The most standard public device indicators come from ACS “computer and internet use” tables accessible through data.census.gov, which can indicate presence of device categories but may not fully resolve “smartphone vs. non-smartphone mobile phone” in a way that is stable across years.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Clark County

Rural settlement pattern and tower economics

  • Low population density increases per-user infrastructure cost and typically results in wider tower spacing, increasing the likelihood of weaker signal areas.
  • Service quality can be higher in or near county seat and incorporated communities and lower in outlying areas.

Population density and rural characteristics can be documented through U.S. Census geography and population datasets via Census.gov and data.census.gov.

Terrain and the Mississippi River corridor

  • The Mississippi River floodplain and adjacent bluffs can create localized propagation challenges and coverage shadows.
  • Road network patterns and distance between settlements can influence where carriers prioritize upgrades.

Age, income, and broadband substitution patterns (data limitations at county scale)

  • Demographic factors such as age distribution, income, and educational attainment influence smartphone ownership and the likelihood of relying on mobile-only internet.
  • These demographics are available at the county level through ACS on data.census.gov.
  • Direct county-level linkage between these demographics and measured mobile plan adoption is limited in public datasets; ACS provides related but not carrier-specific adoption indicators.

Primary public sources for Clark County mobile connectivity documentation

Data availability limitations (county-level)

  • Network availability is well-covered by FCC BDC reporting but remains a provider-reported measure rather than a direct measurement of user experience.
  • Household adoption of mobile service and smartphone-vs-feature-phone rates is not consistently available as a clean county-level metric in publicly accessible federal datasets; ACS provides related indicators (internet subscription types and device presence) with potentially large margins of error in small counties like Clark County.

Social Media Trends

Clark County is a small, rural county in far northeast Missouri along the Mississippi River, anchored by the communities of Kahoka (county seat) and Wayland. Its economy is closely tied to agriculture and local services, and residents are influenced by both Missouri and nearby Iowa/Illinois media markets. These regional characteristics typically correlate with lower broadband availability than metropolitan areas and a heavier reliance on mobile connections for online access, shaping how social media is used.

User statistics (local availability and best-available proxies)

  • County-level social-media penetration: No major public dataset reports platform-active shares specifically for Clark County, Missouri at a statistically reliable sample size. The most defensible approach is to use national and rural-usage benchmarks and interpret them as proxies.
  • U.S. adults using social media: About 69% of U.S. adults report using at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2023). See Pew’s overview of U.S. social media use: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.
  • Rural vs. urban pattern: Pew consistently finds lower adoption in rural areas than urban/suburban areas, with gaps varying by platform and age. The same Pew report summarizes rural–urban differences by platform (where measured): Pew platform-by-platform results (2023).
  • Implication for Clark County: As a predominantly rural county, Clark County’s overall social media participation is generally expected to track below national averages, especially among older residents, and to show stronger usage on “utility” platforms (Facebook, YouTube) than on trend-driven platforms.

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

Based on national survey results that show strong age gradients:

  • Highest use: Ages 18–29 show the highest rates of social media use overall and higher adoption of visually oriented and messaging-forward platforms.
  • Middle adoption: Ages 30–49 remain heavy users, often balancing Facebook/Instagram/YouTube with increasing use of messaging and local-community groups.
  • Lower adoption: Ages 50–64 show moderate use; 65+ have the lowest overall use and are more concentrated on a smaller set of platforms.
  • Source for age-based differences and platform breakdowns: Pew Research Center’s age-by-platform tables (2023).

Gender breakdown

County-specific gender-by-platform data is not published at the county level in major public sources; the most reliable reference is national survey findings:

  • Women tend to report higher use than men on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest in Pew’s surveys.
  • Men tend to report higher use on some discussion- or feed-centric platforms such as Reddit (and historically some professional or news-following behaviors), while YouTube is broadly high across genders.
  • Source: Pew Research Center: Social media use by gender (2023).

Most-used platforms (percentages from reputable surveys)

Percentages below reflect U.S. adults (not county-specific), providing the best-available baseline for a rural Missouri county:

Practical interpretation for Clark County’s likely ranking:

  • Facebook and YouTube typically function as the dominant “reach” platforms in rural counties due to broad age coverage and utility (news, how-to, entertainment, groups).
  • TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat generally skew younger; overall county share may be moderated by older age composition common in rural areas.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

  • Community- and location-based engagement: Rural areas commonly show higher reliance on Facebook Groups, local pages, and community postings for events, announcements, and informal commerce, reflecting fewer local media outlets and longer distances to services. Pew documents Facebook’s broad reach and persistent usage across age groups: Pew: platform reach and frequency (2023).
  • Video-centered consumption: The very high penetration of YouTube aligns with a behavioral shift toward video as a default format for information and entertainment, including news explainers and practical “how-to” content.
  • Frequency of use: Pew finds many Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok users report daily use, with intensity highest among younger adults and for short-form video platforms. Source: Pew: frequency of use by platform (2023).
  • Messaging and private sharing: Across the U.S., social interaction increasingly occurs via private channels (direct messages, group chats), with public posting becoming less central for many users; this is often reflected in greater emphasis on sharing within known community networks rather than broad public feeds.
  • Platform role differentiation:
    • Facebook: local news, events, groups, community exchange
    • YouTube: entertainment, learning, long-form video
    • TikTok/Instagram: short-form video and visual discovery (younger skew)
    • LinkedIn: limited relevance in many rural counties due to occupational mix, but used by professionals commuting or working in regional hubs (national baseline remains ~30% of adults)

Note on local precision: Public, statistically reliable county-level percentages for active social platform use are generally not available for small counties; the figures above use the most-cited U.S. survey benchmarks and documented rural–urban patterns as the closest reliable reference.

Family & Associates Records

Clark County family and associate-related public records are primarily held through Missouri state and local offices. Vital records (birth and death certificates) are created and filed under the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records and are typically obtainable through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Vital Records program. Marriage records are recorded locally by the Clark County Clerk. Divorce records are maintained with circuit court case files through Missouri’s court system and may be located via Missouri Case.net (docket and basic case information) and in full through the local circuit clerk.

Adoption records in Missouri are generally sealed and managed through the courts and state processes; public access is restricted.

Public databases commonly used for associate or family-related lookups include court dockets (Case.net) and recorded-document indexes available through county offices. For in-person access, residents use the Clark County government offices (County Clerk for marriages; circuit clerk for court files). For online ordering of certified birth/death certificates, DHSS provides state-level ordering and identity/eligibility requirements.

Privacy restrictions apply to certified vital records (especially recent birth records), adoption files, and some court records; non-certified informational indexes may be more broadly accessible than certified copies.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage records (licenses and certificates/returns)
    • Clark County issues marriage licenses through the Clark County Recorder of Deeds and maintains the recorded license and the officiant’s certificate/return (proof the marriage was performed and returned for recording).
  • Divorce records (court case files and decrees)
    • Divorce decrees/judgments are part of the circuit court case record and are maintained by the Circuit Clerk as part of the dissolution of marriage case file.
  • Annulment records (court case files and judgments)
    • Annulments are handled as circuit court matters and maintained by the Circuit Clerk within the relevant case file and final judgment/order.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage licenses and recorded returns
    • Filed/recorded with: Clark County Recorder of Deeds (county-level vital record for marriage licensing/recording).
    • Access: Common access methods include in-person requests at the Recorder’s office and written/mail requests according to office procedures. Many Missouri recorders also provide online index/search tools for recorded documents; availability and coverage vary by county office.
  • Divorce and annulment case records (including decrees)
    • Filed with: Clark County Circuit Court, maintained by the Circuit Clerk (part of Missouri’s judicial branch).
    • Access: Case dockets and some case information are commonly accessible through the Missouri courts’ public case management systems and/or at the courthouse. Copies of decrees and other documents are obtained from the Circuit Clerk, subject to court rules and any sealing/redaction orders.
  • State-level vital records context
    • Missouri maintains statewide vital records for certain events through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, but divorce/annulment decrees remain court records. Marriage records are primarily recorded at the county level where the license was issued/recorded.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage license / recorded marriage record
    • Full names of parties
    • Date and place of marriage (as recorded on the return/certificate)
    • Date the license was issued
    • Officiant name/title and certification that the ceremony was performed
    • Recording information (book/page or instrument number), and sometimes ages, residences, and prior marital status depending on the form used at the time of issuance
  • Divorce decree (judgment of dissolution)
    • Names of parties and case number
    • Date of judgment and court
    • Findings and orders on dissolution
    • Terms regarding division of property/debts, maintenance (alimony), and attorney fees (when applicable)
    • Child-related provisions such as legal/physical custody, parenting time, and child support (when applicable)
  • Annulment judgment/order
    • Names of parties and case number
    • Date and court
    • Determination that the marriage is annulled (void or voidable as addressed by the court)
    • Related orders addressing property, support, and child-related issues when applicable

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • General public access
    • Marriage records recorded by the Recorder of Deeds are generally treated as public records, though access may be limited in practice to protect sensitive identifiers.
    • Divorce and annulment records are generally public court records at the docket level, but specific documents may be restricted by law or court order.
  • Restricted/sealed information
    • Courts may seal specific filings or require redaction of sensitive information. Records involving minors, abuse allegations, or confidential financial identifiers may have restricted components.
    • Personally identifying information (for example, Social Security numbers) is typically subject to redaction requirements under court rules and privacy practices.
  • Certified copies and identification requirements
    • Recorder and court offices commonly distinguish between plain copies and certified copies; certified copies are issued under office procedures and may require formal requests and fees.
  • Legal authority
    • Maintenance and disclosure of court records are governed by Missouri court rules and applicable statutes; local practice in Clark County follows statewide requirements administered by the Recorder of Deeds (for recorded marriage instruments) and the Circuit Clerk (for court case files).

Education, Employment and Housing

Clark County is a rural county in far northeast Missouri along the Mississippi River, bordering Iowa and Illinois. The county seat is Kahoka, and the county is characterized by small towns, agricultural land uses, and a population base that is older than state and national averages. Public services, employment, and housing markets reflect a low-density setting with substantial out‑commuting to larger job centers in adjacent counties and across state lines.

Education Indicators

Public schools (counts and names)

Clark County’s K–12 public education is primarily served by two school districts:

  • Clark County R‑I School District (Kahoka)
    Schools commonly listed for the district include:
  • Hancock County R‑IV School District (Lewis/LaBelle area; serving parts of Clark County regionally)
    In rural northeast Missouri, some students may attend neighboring-district schools depending on residence and boundary arrangements; this is a common regional pattern. Specific attendance boundaries and school rosters are best confirmed via district enrollment documents and state district profiles.

Data note: Missouri’s public school reporting is district-based; countywide “number of public schools” totals are not always published as a single county metric. District school rosters can be verified through Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) district profiles and annual report cards.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Graduation rates: Missouri reports graduation rates at the school and district level (not always summarized at the county level). Clark County’s high school graduation outcomes are therefore best represented by the Clark County R‑I district/school graduation rate published in the DESE annual performance reports.
  • Student–teacher ratios: Typically reported by school/district in DESE data and national school datasets. Countywide ratios are not a standard published metric; district-level staffing and enrollment provide the most accurate proxy.

Proxy note: In rural Missouri districts of similar size, student–teacher ratios often fall in the low-to-mid teens per teacher; the authoritative values for Clark County R‑I are in DESE staffing/enrollment tables.

Adult educational attainment (county residents)

Adult educational attainment is commonly drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). County-specific attainment shares are published in ACS “Educational Attainment” tables, accessible through data.census.gov. The most used indicators are:

  • High school graduate or higher (age 25+)
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+)

Data note: For Clark County, Missouri, the most recent ACS 5‑year estimates provide the most stable county-level percentages. Exact shares vary by ACS vintage; the current values should be taken directly from the latest ACS 5‑year release in data.census.gov.

Notable programs (STEM, CTE, AP)

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE): Rural Missouri districts commonly offer CTE pathways (agriculture, business, industrial arts, family and consumer sciences) either in‑district or via regional partnerships. Missouri program standards and CTE structures are documented through DESE Career Education.
  • Advanced Placement (AP) / dual credit: Availability is usually limited in smaller districts but may exist through AP offerings or dual-credit partnerships with nearby community colleges. Verified course catalogs are typically published by the district.

Proxy note: A definitive list of AP/CTE pathways requires district course catalogs or DESE course/program reporting; countywide listings are not standardized in a single public table.

School safety measures and counseling resources

  • Safety measures: Missouri districts generally implement controlled building access, visitor management, emergency drills, and coordination with local law enforcement, consistent with state guidance and district board policies. State-level school safety resources are compiled through DESE School Safety.
  • Counseling and student supports: Counseling staffing and mental-health supports vary by district size; school counselors and referral partnerships are typical in rural districts, with service levels documented in district staffing reports and student handbooks.

Data note: Specific on-campus staffing counts and named programs (e.g., SRO presence, threat assessment teams, SEL curricula) are district-policy items and are not consistently aggregated into countywide datasets.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

The most commonly cited official local unemployment statistics come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Annual and monthly unemployment rates for Clark County are available via BLS LAUS (county series).
Data note: The most recent complete year is typically the latest calendar year with finalized annual averages; exact values should be pulled from the BLS county table for Clark County, MO.

Major industries and employment sectors

Clark County’s employment base reflects a rural economy. Sector concentration in similar northeast Missouri counties typically includes:

  • Agriculture and related services (farm operations and support activities)
  • Manufacturing (often small to mid-sized plants in regional trade areas)
  • Retail trade and transportation (local services plus regional freight corridors)
  • Health care and social assistance (clinics, long-term care, countywide service hubs)
  • Educational services and public administration (schools, county government)

Authoritative county industry distributions are available through the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS “Industry” tables and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) regional data portal at BEA Regional.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational structure in rural Missouri counties typically skews toward:

  • Management, business, and financial occupations (smaller share than metros)
  • Service occupations (healthcare support, food service, protective services)
  • Sales and office occupations
  • Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
  • Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

County occupational shares are provided in ACS “Occupation” tables at data.census.gov.

Commuting patterns and mean commute times

  • Means of commuting: Rural counties generally have high drive-alone shares, limited public transit availability, and modest carpooling.
  • Commute time: Mean commute times in rural counties are often lower than large-metro averages but can rise when residents commute to regional job centers across county/state lines.

County-level commuting modes and commute time (mean travel time to work) are published by the ACS in “Commuting (Journey to Work)” tables at data.census.gov.

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

Clark County commonly exhibits net out‑commuting, with residents traveling to employment centers in nearby Missouri counties and across the Mississippi River into Illinois, reflecting limited local job density. The most direct commuting-flow evidence is available from the Census “OnTheMap” application (LEHD) at Census OnTheMap, which reports:

  • Resident workers employed in-county vs. out-of-county
  • Inbound commuters working in Clark County who live elsewhere

Data note: LEHD coverage is robust for commuting flows; small rural geographies can show volatility for detailed industry/occupation cuts.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership vs. renting

Clark County’s housing tenure is typically owner‑occupied majority, consistent with rural Missouri. The most recent owner/renter shares are published in ACS “Tenure” tables at data.census.gov.

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median home value: ACS reports median value for owner‑occupied housing units (county level).
  • Trend context: Rural counties in northeast Missouri often have lower median values than Missouri’s statewide median and have experienced slower appreciation than major metro areas, with variability driven by interest rates, limited inventory, and condition/age of housing stock.

Data note: For “recent trends,” ACS provides year-to-year estimates, but short-run market shifts are better captured by local MLS summaries; a consistent countywide MLS series is not always publicly available.

Typical rent prices

Median gross rent is published by the ACS at the county level. In rural counties, rental supply is limited and concentrated in small multifamily properties or single-family rentals in town centers. Current county median gross rent should be taken from the latest ACS “Gross Rent” tables at data.census.gov.

Types of housing

Housing stock in Clark County is predominantly:

  • Single-family detached homes (in Kahoka and smaller communities, plus rural residences)
  • Farmhouses and rural lots/acreages
  • Limited small multifamily properties (duplexes and small apartment buildings), typically clustered near town centers

These patterns align with ACS “Units in Structure” distributions and local land-use characteristics.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

  • Kahoka (county seat): The largest concentration of services (schools, county offices, basic retail, and health services), with many residences located within short driving distances to schools and civic amenities.
  • Rural areas and small towns: Lower density, larger lot sizes, and longer drives to schools, groceries, and medical services; housing often emphasizes land and privacy over walkability.

Proxy note: Countywide neighborhood typologies are not standardized; descriptions reflect the county’s settlement pattern and typical rural service geography.

Property tax overview (rate and typical cost)

Property taxes in Missouri are administered locally and vary by taxing jurisdictions (county, school district, city, and special districts). The most defensible overview metrics are:

  • Effective property tax rate proxies: Often reported as property taxes paid relative to home value in ACS “Selected Housing Characteristics,” and supplemented by county assessor and Missouri DOR reporting.
  • Typical homeowner cost: Driven heavily by school district levies and assessed value (Missouri assesses residential property at a percentage of market value, then applies local tax rates).

For authoritative local rate components and levy detail, reference the Clark County Assessor/Collector postings and Missouri tax guidance through the Missouri Department of Revenue. Data note: A single “average county property tax rate” is not always published because rates differ by overlapping jurisdictions; “typical cost” is best represented by ACS median property taxes paid (owner‑occupied) at the county level.

Primary data sources used for the most recent available metrics: U.S. Census Bureau ACS via data.census.gov (education, commuting, housing value/rent, tenure), BLS via LAUS (unemployment), BEA via BEA Regional (industry/income context), Missouri DESE via DESE (school-level performance, staffing, programs), and Census LEHD via OnTheMap (commuting flows).

Table of Contents

Other Counties in Missouri