Rector, Arkansas, United States of America

Rector is a city located in Clay County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,017.

Rector Geography

Rector is located at 36°15'48" North, 90°17'36" West (36.263320, -90.293464).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²). 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Rector History

Rector is named after former Governor Henry Massey Rector.

In 1881, the St. Louis and Texas Railroad laid out the town of Rector about two miles to the south of an existing settlement named Scatterville, and the population of Scatterville gradually migrated to the new and booming town.

Rector Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 2,017 people, 915 households, and 570 families residing in the city. The population density is 599.1/km² (1,556.9/mi²). There are 1,045 housing units at an average density of 310.4/km² (806.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.26% White, 0.00% Black or African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 915 households out of which 25.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% are married couples living together, 10.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% are non-families. 35.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 24.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.83.

In the city the population is spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 44 years. For every 100 females there are 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 76.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $21,051, and the median income for a family is $29,330. Males have a median income of $27,650 versus $19,293 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,931. 23.9% of the population and 17.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 33.3% of those under the age of 18 and 31.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Facts

• The Rector School District was known as Clay County Central from 1985 until 2000.

• The Rector Labor Day Picnic is held during Labor Day weekend each year, serving as a Homecoming for former and current residents. The weekend features a rodeo, a parade, beauty pagents, and is a popular political campaign stop.

Notable Persons

• Thomas Dale Alford - U.S. Representative (1959-1961)
• Maurice Copeland - Actor

External links

• Official City Website

• Clay County Democrat Newspaper

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rector,_Arkansas".