Risco, Missouri

Risco is a city in western New Madrid County, Missouri. It had a population of 346 at the 2010 census.

History

Risco owes its name and its existence to the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, a branch line of which was extended through that portion of New Madrid County at the turn of the century. A settlement grew up along the railroad in the central part of Como Township, and when a post office was opened in 1904, the name "Frisco" was proposed, that being a popular nickname for the entire railway. However, another post office in neighboring Stoddard County already bore that name, so it was shortened to Risco.

Geography

Risco is located in western New Madrid County, at the intersection of U.S. Route 62 and Missouri State Highway 153. It is approximately eight miles east of Malden, and sixteen miles west-southwest of New Madrid. Its exact coordinates are 36°33’06”N 89°49’12”W.

The city lies on the flat lowlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It has a total land area of 0.56 square miles, and an average elevation of 276 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Risco had a total of 346 inhabitants, grouped into 149 households, with a population density of 617.9 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant decrease from the 2000 census, when Risco had a population of 392. 96.53% of the inhabitants were White, 1.16% were African-American, and 2.31% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 0.58% of the population.

The median age in Risco was 41.7 years, with 21.4% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.0% between 18 and 24 years old, 25.4% between 25 and 44, 26.8% between 45 and 64, and 20.2% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 49.7% male, 50.3% female.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median household income in Risco was $40,455, and the median family income was $54,500. The unemployment rate was 5.3%. The per capita income was $22,083. About 19.3% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 25.3% of people under the age of 18 and 27.7% of people 65 years old or older.

Education

Risco and the surrounding area are served by the Risco R-II School District, a PK-12 public school established in 1915. It currently has an enrollment of about 160 students. The school mascot is the Tigers, and its colors are black and gold.