Naylor, Missouri

Naylor is a city in southeastern Ripley County, Missouri. It had a population of 632 at the 2010 census.

History

The community of Naylor owed its creation to the construction of the Iron Mountain branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, completed in 1882. It was first dubbed "Barfield" after a local landowner of that name. Due to confusion created by the existence of another town named Barfield in Arkansas, the name was eventually changed to honor William A. Naylor, a land surveyor and former army officer. The change was not made official until 1910, though the post office was using the name of Naylor from 1892.

Timber-clearing and woodworking were the town's main source of prosperity in early days, with agriculture replacing it from the 1920s onward and still important today.

Geography

Naylor is located along Missouri State Highway 142 in southeastern Ripley County, near the boundary with neighboring Butler County. It is about five miles west-northwest of Neelyville, and about twelve miles southeast of Doniphan. Its exact coordinates are 36°34’27”N 90°36’16”W.

The city lies near the western edge of the flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain, about a mile southeast of the Little Black River, a tributary of the Current River and marking the eastern limit of the Ozarks. It has a total land area of 0.55 square miles, and an average elevation of 305 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Naylor had a total of 632 inhabitants, grouped into 270 households, with a population density of 1,149.1 people per square mile. This figure marked a significant increase from the 2000 census, when Naylor had a population of 610. 93.51% of the inhabitants were White, 0.32% were African-American, 0.79% were Native American, 0.16% were from some other race, and 5.22% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 0.95% of the population.

The median age in Naylor was 42.3 years, with 23.4% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.4% between 18 and 24 years old, 20.7% between 25 and 44, 26.2% between 45 and 64, and 21.4% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.3% male, 51.7% female.

As of 2017, Naylor had an estimated median household income of $33,634, and a median family income of $34,918. The unemployment rate was 4.5%. The per capita income was $14,441. About 33.0% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 39.9% of people under the age of 18 and 54.2% of non-high school graduates.

Education

Naylor and the surrounding area are served by the Naylor R-II School District, a K-12 public institution with a total enrollment of around 420 students. Its mascot is the Eagles, and the school colors are black, yellow, and white.