Nixa is a suburban city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,022. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Video Nixa, Missouri
History
The area was first settled by farmers who located their farms along the wooded streams near present-day Nixa. The area became a crossroads, as it was a half-day ride with a team of horses from Springfield. Teamsters found it a convenient stopover site when hauling freight between Springfield and Arkansas. The village became known as Faughts. An early resident, Nicholas A. Inman, was a blacksmith from Tennessee, who set up a shop in 1852. When a post office was opened, a town meeting was held to decide on a name for the new community. Because of his years of service to the community, the town was suggested to be named for him. Another suggestion was "nix" because the community was "nothing but a crossroads". The name Nix was finally decided upon, and Inman's middle initial "a" was added to get the unique name of Nixa. The village incorporated on June 10, 1902.
Maps Nixa, Missouri
Geography
Nixa is located at 37°2?43?N 93°17?56?W (37.045253, -93.298755). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.48 square miles (21.96 km2), all of it land. The modern city rests on and around seven hills.
Demographics
2000 census
As of the US Census of 2000, 12,124 people, 4,654 households, and 3,448 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,969.1 people per square mile (759.9/km²). The 4,962 housing units averaged 805.9 per square mile (311.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.43% White, 0.46% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.26% of the population.
Of the 4,654 households, 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were not families. About 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was distributed as 28.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,655, and for a family was $44,556. Males had a median income of $33,636 versus $21,737 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,774. About 8.1% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, 19,022 people, 7,264 households, and 5,280 families lived in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.9% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.1% of the population.
Of the 7,264 households, 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.3% were not families. About 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.
The median age in the city was 34.2 years; 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
Education
Currently, the Nixa R-2 School District operates four elementary schools for students in kindergarten through fourth grade: Matthews, Espy, Century, and the newest, High Pointe Elementary (named so because it sits on the highest elevation in Christian County), opened in August 2007. Also, two intermediate schools serve students in the fifth and sixth grades--Inman and Summit; one junior high school and one high school are in the district. Also, a magnet school hosts kindergarten through 6th grade- John Thomas School of Discovery.
The old Main Street Elementary School building has become an administrative building, named Faught Administration Center. The Nixa school district is widely considered one of the best in Missouri, receiving the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Distinction in Performance Award for each of the last five years. In its Missouri Assessment Program, Nixa Junior High placed fifth in the state in science, eighth in math, and 18th in English. The high school was ranked fourth in the state for high academic performance.
Infrastructure
The city of Nixa began construction on the largest solar farm in Missouri in June of 2017. The solar farm is expected to have 33,288 solar panels and provide 9% of the city's power needs. It is to be operational by December of 2017. Sen. Jay Wasson owns the land on which the solar farm is being built. The farm has a life expectancy of 25 years.
In 2015, Nixa became a gigabit city with the upgrade of its internet system.
Festivals
Nixa Sucker Day - A local barber named Finis Gold started Nixa Sucker Day in 1957, and it has since been a longstanding tradition. Locals often closed up shop and skip school for the day to go "grabbin' for suckers". The fish were then frozen until enough were available for a big fish fry. Nixa Sucker Day was the result of this annual tradition.
Now, the event is held annually during May. It is a family-friendly event held on Nixa's Main Street. Sucker fish and other food is sold by vendors. There is live entertainment and local crafts. Proceeds from Sucker Day activities are used to assist projects in the city such as scholarships to graduates from Nixa High School, donations to Project Graduation, and Nixa JROTC.
Film and TV References
In the Robert Ludlum novels and films (fiction), Nixa is the birthplace of Jason Bourne/David Webb. The Bourne Supremacy revealed that Bourne's real name was David Webb and that he was born in Nixa, Missouri.
Several streets in a residential neighborhood northeast of downtown are named for performers on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee, including Nixa native Slim Wilson. They include Slim Wilson Boulevard, Red Foley Court, Zed Tennis Street, Bill Ring Court, (Speedy) Haworth Court and Ozark Jubilee Drive. M
A 2013 episode of the Investigation Discovery television series Beauty Queen Murder featured a murder in Nixa--the 1985 death of Jackie Johns was not settled until 2010, when DNA evidence proved that fellow Nixa resident Gerald Carnahan had raped and murdered the young lady.
References
External links
- City of Nixa
- Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce
- Nixa XPress newspaper
Source of article : Wikipedia
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