Dudley, Missouri
Dudley is a city in west-central Stoddard County, Missouri. It had a population of 232 at the 2010 census.
History
The Dudley community has been in existence since 1874 at the latest, being mentioned in regional publications at that time. Its name comes from an early settler by the name of Dudley, about whom little else is known.[1] The community was incorporated in 1896, disincorporated in 1904, and reincorporated in 1915. It remained small but fairly prosperous through the 1930s, due to the vast amount of timber being cut and processed at nearby sawmills. After this was exhausted, Dudley experienced an economic slump, but recovered from the 1960s onward, thanks to the relocation of several agricultural facilities to the area.[2]
Geography
Dudley is located on Route TT in west-central Stoddard County, just south of U.S. Route 60. It lies about seven miles west of Dexter and about 16 miles east of Poplar Bluff, with Route 60 providing direct access to both locations. Its exact coordinates are 36°47’24”N 90°05’32”W.
The town lies on generally flat terrain just to the south and west of Crowley's Ridge, a local range of low hills. It has a total land area of 0.39 square miles, and an average elevation of 354 feet.[3]
Demographics
At the 2010 census, Dudley had a total of 232 inhabitants, grouped into 103 households, with a population density of 594.9 people per square mile. This figure marked a significant decrease from the 2000 census, when Dudley had a population of 289. 99.57% of the inhabitants were White, and 0.43% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 0.86% of the population.
The median age in Dudley was 36.5 years, with 21.6% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 10.0% between 18 and 24 years old, 24.5% between 25 and 44, 31.0% between 45 and 64, and 12.9% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.3% male, 51.7% female.[4]
According to the 2017 American Community Survey, Dudley had a median household income of $33,194, and a median family income of $50,313. The unemployment rate was 0.9%. The per capita income was $25,807. About 24.1% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 33.3% of people under the age of 18 and 20.7% of people 65 years old or older.[5]
Education
Dudley at one time possessed its own school system. Today, however, it and the nearby area are served by the Dexter R-XI School District.
References
- ↑ https://shsmo.org/collections/manuscripts/ramsay/stoddard
- ↑ Stoddard County, Missouri 1835-1985 (1985), p. 29-30.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt
- ↑ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF
- ↑ https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF
