Bertrand, Missouri

Bertrand is a city in western Mississippi County, Missouri. It had a population of 821 at the 2010 census.

History

Bertrand was named for one Mr. Bertrand (first name unknown), a local businessman and promoter in the antebellum era. Exactly when the community came to bear his name is unclear; a circuit rider district for the Methodist church was designated "Bertrand" upon its organization in 1844, but the town itself was not laid out until 1859, when the Cairo & Fulton Railroad was extended west to that point. A post office was added in 1867, and a bank in 1906.

Geography

Bertrand is located on U.S. Route 62 in western Mississippi County, about five miles east of Sikeston. Interstate 57 is accessible just to the south. Its exact coordinates are 36°54’37”N, 89°26’54”W.

The city lies on the flat land of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It has a total land area of 0.78 square miles, and an average elevation of 322 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Bertrand had a total of 821 inhabitants, grouped into 341 households, with a population density of 1,052.6 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant increase from the 2000 census, when Bertrand had a population of 740. 97.32% of the inhabitants were White, 1.83% were African-American, 0.12% were Native American, 0.12% were Asian, 0.12% were from other races, and 0.49% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.95% of the population.

The median age in Bertrand was 46.1 years, with 23.0% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 5.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 19.8% between 25 and 44, 28.4% between 45 and 64, and 22.9% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 45.2% male, 54.8% female.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median household income in Bertrand was $32,738, and the median family income was $36,071. The unemployment rate was 3.6%. The per capita income was $19,863. About 27.2% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 11.9% of people 65 years old or older.

Education

Like most of northern Mississippi County, Bertrand is served by the Charleston R-I School District.