Atchison County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Atchison County, MO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 75% of counties in Missouri
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Missouri
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Atchison County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,187 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9.4 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.45% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,287 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Atchison County declined by 15.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,187 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Atchison County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.9% of residents. That is 6.0 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 871 16.8% -4.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 893 17.2% -4.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,082 20.9% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,241 23.9% +6.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Missouri, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Atchison County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.5% Missouri 49.3%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Atchison County
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Economy
Atchison County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Atchison County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,172 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.86% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Atchison County is about 16% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Atchison County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $67,666 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $630 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Atchison County is about 8.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $630 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Atchison County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 142 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Atchison County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.0 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.0 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 142 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,396 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,728 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 195 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Atchison County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Atchison County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Atchison County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Atchison County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Atchison County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Atchison County, Missouri.
How many people live in Atchison County, Missouri?
About 5,187 people live in Atchison County, Missouri, in 2,287 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 47.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
How densely populated is Atchison County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Atchison County, Missouri has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 11% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Atchison County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($67,666 against $59,172), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $630 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Atchison County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Atchison County, Missouri is only 2.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Atchison County, Missouri?
20.8% of adults in Atchison County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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