Dent County, Missouri Income Statistics
Dent County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Dent County Well below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Dent County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $55,555 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $43,496 | $54,686 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.0% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.7% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.1% | 8.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Dent County is about 22% lower than in Missouri. Income has been growing faster in Dent County (5.0%/yr) than in Missouri (4.6%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Dent County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Missouri average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Dent County, Missouri grew by 61.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $55,555 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Dent County
| Metric | Dent County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.521 | 0.532 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $53,440 | $64,288 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,701 | $51,060 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 14.5% | 20.6% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Dent County, it is 0.521, lower than Missouri's 0.532, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 17% more than women's income in Dent County, Missouri. Over a 35-year career, a 17% wage gap accumulates to roughly $270,865 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
The income gap between men and women in Dent County, Missouri has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 14%. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,281 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Dent County widened by 0.9 points while Missouri's narrowed by 4.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Dent County | Missouri Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 7.2% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 16 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 275 people are unemployed in Dent County, Missouri.
The average commute time in Dent County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Missouri.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Dent County, Missouri has fallen from 9.9% to 4.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.3% in 2012 and fell as low as 4.2% in 2023.
Dent County, MO Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Dent County, MO is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 14,539 residents against a local median of 22,797. Dent County, MO sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is income growth, 13% above the local median at 5.0%/yr against 4.4%/yr. Dent County, MO has the 3rd highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dent County, MO | 14,539 | $55,555 #4/6 | 5.0%/yr #3/6 | 4.4% #3/6 | 0.521 #3/6 |
| Phelps County, MO | 45,194 | $58,562 | 4.4%/yr | 3.9% | 0.570 |
| Crawford County, MO | 22,797 | $58,081 | 5.9%/yr | 4.9% | 0.506 |
| Shannon County, MO | 7,177 | $56,188 | 7.2%/yr | 1.3% | 0.558 |
| Texas County, MO | 25,161 | $50,042 | 4.4%/yr | 5.1% | 0.538 |
| Reynolds County, MO | 6,010 | $45,026 | 2.4%/yr | 10.9% | 0.518 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dent County, Missouri has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Missouri, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Dent County, Missouri.
How Rich Is Dent County, Missouri?
Dent County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $55,555, about 22% lower than the Missouri average of $70,801.
Are incomes growing in Dent County, Missouri?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Dent County, Missouri rose 61%, from $34,469 to $55,555. Over the same years, income here outpaced Missouri as a whole: +61% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Dent County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Dent County, Missouri was $54,184, up 5% from $51,467 in 2022. The Missouri median that year was $69,047.
What was the median household income in Dent County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Dent County, Missouri was $42,790. By 2024 it had risen 30% to $55,555.
What is the Gini coefficient in Dent County, Missouri?
The Gini coefficient in Dent County is 0.521. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Dent County, Missouri?
The income gap between men and women in Dent County, Missouri has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 14%. Over that period the gap was widest at 28% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,281 since 2009.
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