Barton County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Barton 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Barton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,690 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.6 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.40% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.3 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,454 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Barton County declined by 7.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,690 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Barton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.3% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,341 20.0% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,137 18.3% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,313 19.8% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,378 20.3% +2.4 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 50.6% of the people living in Barton County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.4% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Barton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Barton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Barton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,799 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.68% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Barton County is about 27% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Barton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $180,469 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $805 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Barton County is about 18.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $805 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Barton County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Barton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.4 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,698 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,034 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 272 | 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 Barton County is 18 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
Barton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Barton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 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
Barton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Barton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.3% | 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).
Barton County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Barton County, MO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton County, MO | 11,690 | $51,799 #3/3 | $180,469 #1/3 | 18.2 min #3/3 |
| Jasper County, MO | 124,268 | $60,630 | $153,538 | 16.7 min |
| Crawford County, KS | 39,008 | $52,478 | $10,543 | 12.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Barton County, Missouri.
What is the population of Barton County, Missouri?
About 11,690 people live in Barton County, Missouri, in 4,454 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 41.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Barton County, Missouri mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Barton County, Missouri has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Barton County, Missouri?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($180,469 against $51,799), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $805 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Barton County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Barton County, Missouri is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Barton County, Missouri?
16.6% of adults in Barton County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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