Holcomb, Missouri

Holcomb is a city in north-central Dunklin County, Missouri. It had a population of 635 at the 2010 census.

History[edit]

Holcomb derives its name from Holcomb Township, in which it lies, and which in turn was named for Lewis Holcomb, Dunklin County's first sheriff.^[1] The first settlement in the area was laid out around 1870, though a post office with the Holcomb name was not established until 1886. It steadily grew after the clearing of the nearby swampland, and has maintained a more or less stable population since the mid-20th century.^[2]

Geography[edit]

Holcomb is located along Missouri State Highway 25 in north-central Dunklin County, about eleven miles north of Kennett and four miles southwest of Clarkton. Its exact coordinates are 36°24’10”N 90°01’23”W.

The city lies on the flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain, a few miles east of the St. Francis River. It has a total land area of 0.58 square miles, and an average elevation of 279 feet.^[3]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Holcomb had a total of 635 inhabitants, grouped into 248 households, with a population density of 1,094.8 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant decrease from the 2000 census, when Holcomb had a population of 696. 95.59% of the inhabitants were White, 1.73% were African-American, 2.20% were from some other race, and 0.47% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 4.09% of the population.

The median age in Holcomb was 35.5 years, with 29.8% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.8% between 18 and 24 years old, 22.9% between 25 and 44, 25.1% between 45 and 64, and 15.4% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.7% male, 52.3% female.^[4]

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the median household income in Holcomb was $32,250, and the median family income was $42,500. The unemployment rate was 7.6%. The per capita income was $15,842. About 24.0% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 27.4% of people under the age of 18 and 9.8% of people 65 years old or older.^[5]

Community Life[edit]

Holcomb and the surrounding area are served by the Holcomb R-III School District, a PK-12 public institution with an enrollment of about 520 students. Its mascot is the Hornets, and its school colors are purple and white.^[6]

Holcomb is home to a well-known regional restaurant, Strawberry's BBQ. Owned and operated by Jerry "Straw" Holsten, it has been rated one of the best barbecue restaurants in the state by Missouri Life and Rural Missouri magazines.^[7]

References[edit]