Chariton County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chariton 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 averageHealthier than 71% of counties in Missouri
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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 | Chariton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,390 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9.6 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.37% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,681 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chariton County declined by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,390 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chariton County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.4% of residents. That is 4.5 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,300 17.6% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,186 16.0% -5.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,546 20.9% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,656 22.4% +4.5 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 50.3% of the people living in Chariton County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.7% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Chariton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Chariton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Chariton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,093 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.73% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chariton County is about 1% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Chariton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $274,999 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $567 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.5% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chariton County is about 40.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $567 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chariton County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chariton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.4 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.8 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,266 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,423 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 265 | 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 Chariton County is 20 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
Chariton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Chariton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.67 | 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
Chariton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Chariton County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.5% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.3% | 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).
Chariton County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Chariton County, MO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chariton County, MO | 7,390 | $70,093 #1/3 | $274,999 #2/3 | 20.4 min #3/3 |
| Saline County, MO | 23,231 | $58,602 | $290,384 | 11.9 min |
| Randolph County, MO | 24,365 | $53,637 | $251,923 | 15.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chariton County, Missouri.
How big is Chariton County, Missouri by population?
About 7,390 people live in Chariton County, Missouri, in 2,681 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Chariton County, Missouri mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chariton County, Missouri has 10 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 Chariton County, Missouri?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($274,999 against $70,093), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $567 a month takes about 10% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Chariton County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Chariton County, Missouri is only 3.5%, 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 Chariton County, Missouri?
19.5% of adults in Chariton 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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