Hickory County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hickory 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 averageLess healthy than 75% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 93% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 94% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hickory County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,585 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.9 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.87% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 55.2 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,601 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hickory County declined by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,585 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hickory County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 32.1% of residents. That is 14.2 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,193 13.9% -7.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,176 13.7% -7.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,806 21.0% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,757 32.1% +14.2 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 50.1% of the people living in Hickory County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.9% Missouri 49.3%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hickory County
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Economy
Hickory County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hickory County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,283 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.50% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 13.7% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hickory County is about 45% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Hickory County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $156,250 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $648 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.4% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hickory County is about 20.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $648 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hickory County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 183 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hickory County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.0 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 183 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,680 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,048 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 333 | 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 Hickory County is 22 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
Hickory County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hickory County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.7% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Hickory County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hickory County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.2 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.2% | 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).
Hickory County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Hickory County, MO is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 8,585 residents against a local median of 32,444. Hickory County, MO's median household income, at $39,283, runs 34% below the $59,586 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $14,588 on median household income, so Hickory County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hickory County, MO has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory County, MO | 8,585 | $39,283 #4/4 | $156,250 #2/4 | 22.0 min #2/4 |
| Polk County, MO | 32,444 | $59,586 | $512,500 | 23.5 min |
| Benton County, MO | 20,151 | $52,808 | $80,000 | 23.9 min |
| Camden County, MO | 43,667 | $67,395 | $148,332 | 18.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hickory County, Missouri.
How big is Hickory County, Missouri by population?
About 8,585 people live in Hickory County, Missouri, in 3,601 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 55.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 18 years.
How densely populated is Hickory County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Hickory 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.
Is Hickory County, Missouri an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.0 times the median household income ($156,250 against $39,283), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $648 a month takes about 20% 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 Hickory County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Hickory County, Missouri is 13.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Hickory County, Missouri?
9.7% of adults in Hickory County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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