Fisk, Missouri

Fisk is a city in eastern Butler County, Missouri, near the St. Francis River. It had a population of 342 at the 2010 census.

History

Fisk developed in the late 19th century along the Cairo, Arkansas, & Texas Railroad after it was extended west into Butler County, and was the site of several sawmills taking advantage of the virgin timber in the bottomlands along the St. Francis. Two of these were operated by a Samuel J. Fisk, who was also the local postmaster, and by 1900 the community had been named in his honor. The population peaked at over 500 in 1950, and since then has gradually declined.

Geography

Fisk is located on Missouri State Highway 51 on the west bank of the St. Francis River, which is also the boundary between Butler and Stoddard Counties. U.S. Route 60, which Highway 51 intersects with, passes just north of the town. It is about ten miles northeast of Poplar Bluff, and 13 miles west of Dexter. Its exact coordinates are 36°46’56”N 90°12’22”W.

The city is located on the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It has a total area of 0.33 square miles, and an average elevation of 331 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Fisk had a total of 342 inhabitants, grouped into 163 households, with a population density of 1,068.8 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight decrease from the 2000 census, when Fisk had a population of 363. 99.42% of the inhabitants were White, and 0.58% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 0.29% of the population.

The median age in Fisk was 46.0 years, with 19.9% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.6% between 18 and 24 years old, 21.9% between 25 and 44, 32.7% between 45 and 64, and 18.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.1% male, 52.9% female.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, Fisk had a median household income of $24,688, and a median family income of $41,250. The unemployment rate was 5.7%. The per capita income was $13,869. About 24.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 20.3% of people under the age of 18 and 12.2% of people 65 years old or older.