Ferguson is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 18,527, and is predominantly Black.
What is now the city of Ferguson was founded in 1855, when William B. Ferguson deeded 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land to the Wabash Railroad in exchange for a new depot and naming rights. The settlement that sprang up around the depot was called Ferguson Station. Ferguson was the first railroad station connected directly to St. Louis. The station is a focal point of the city's history and is depicted on the city flag, designed in 1994.
Ferguson's first schoolhouse was built in 1878. Ferguson was incorporated as a city in 1894.
Emerson Electric moved its headquarters to Ferguson during the 20th century.
Ferguson made frequent worldwide headlines for months following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown Jr. by a police officer and the ensuing civil unrest. The United States Department of Justice investigation which followed resulted in large legal fees for the town, in excess of $300,000 a year. The investigation determined that the shooting was justified.
Ferguson elected its first Black and first female mayor, Ella Jones, on June 2, 2020.
The population of Ferguson grew rapidly during the late nineteenth century. In 1880 the population of the then Ferguson Station was 185 people. By 1890 the population was recorded as being 750 and only four years later it had increased to 1200.
The population of Ferguson continued to grow rapidly during the first six decades of the twentieth century, from 1,015 people in 1900 to 22,149 people in 1960, an average growth rate of 5% per year.
The ethnic composition of Ferguson has shifted, however. In 1970, 99% of the population of Ferguson was white and 1% Black. In 1980, the proportion of white residents went down to 85%, whereas the proportion of Black residents rose to 14%. In 1990, residents of Ferguson who were identified in the U.S. Census as white comprised 73.8% of the total, while those identified as Black made up 25.1%. The remainder, 1.1%, identified with other racial categories. In the 2000 U.S. Census, the city shifted to majority African American at 52.4% of the population (52.30% non-Hispanic African American).
As of the 2020 census, Ferguson had a population of 18,527. The median age was 36.5 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 80.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 75.1 males age 18 and over.
There were 7,460 households in Ferguson, including 5,272 families. Of all households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 26.0% were married-couple households, 19.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 46.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 8,887 housing units, of which 16.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 16.9%.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
The 2016–2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $37,376 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,435) and the median family income was $44,123 (+/- $8,219). Males had a median income of $29,652 (+/- $2,440) versus $27,351 (+/- $3,102) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,414 (+/- $2,545). Approximately, 21.4% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those ages 65 or over.
As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 21,203 people, 8,192 households, and 5,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,425.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,322.6/km2). There were 9,105 housing units at an average density of 1,470.9 per square mile (567.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 67.4% Black, 29.3% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 8,192 households, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.6% were married couples living together, 31.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% 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 3.12.
The median age in the city was 33.1 years. 28.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.8% male and 55.2% female.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.20 square miles (16.06 km2), of which 6.19 square miles (16.03 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.