Caldwell County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Caldwell 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Caldwell County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,927 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.8 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.18% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,769 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Caldwell County declined by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,927 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Caldwell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,779 19.9% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,575 17.6% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,882 21.1% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,748 19.6% +1.7 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 49.0% of the people living in Caldwell County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 51.0% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Caldwell County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Caldwell County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Caldwell County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,216 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.67% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Caldwell County is about 9% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Caldwell County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $46,599 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $639 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.2% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Caldwell County is about 6.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $639 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Caldwell County spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 257 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Caldwell County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.9 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.8 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 257 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,982 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,841 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 433 | 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 Caldwell County is 31 minutes, longer 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
Caldwell County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Caldwell County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 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
Caldwell County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Caldwell County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.2% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 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).
Caldwell County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Caldwell County, MO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell County, MO | 8,927 | $64,216 #3/3 | $46,599 #2/3 | 30.9 min #2/3 |
| Ray County, MO | 23,145 | $74,607 | $23,721 | 32.2 min |
| Clinton County, MO | 21,414 | $71,052 | $61,709 | 27.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Caldwell County, Missouri.
What is the population of Caldwell County, Missouri?
About 8,927 people live in Caldwell County, Missouri, in 3,769 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Caldwell County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Caldwell County, Missouri has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Caldwell County, Missouri?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($46,599 against $64,216), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $639 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Caldwell County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Caldwell County, Missouri is only 2.9%, 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 Caldwell County, Missouri?
15.5% of adults in Caldwell 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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