Iron County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Iron 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 78% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 91% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Iron County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,446 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 17.1 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.96% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,861 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Iron County declined by 6.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,446 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Iron County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.4% of residents. That is 3.8 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,665 17.6% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,702 18.0% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,210 23.4% +3.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,956 20.7% +2.8 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 50.4% of the people living in Iron County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.6% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Iron County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Iron County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Iron County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,236 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.96% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Iron County is about 30% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Iron County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $85,238 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $664 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Iron County is about 10.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $664 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Iron County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Iron County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.7 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.4 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,865 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,724 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 260 | 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 Iron County is 23 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
Iron County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Iron County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Iron County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Iron County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.6% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.8% | 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).
Iron County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Iron County, MO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County, MO | 9,446 | $49,236 #3/3 | $85,238 #3/3 | 22.7 min #2/3 |
| St. Francois County, MO | 66,999 | $58,481 | $136,513 | 17.9 min |
| Washington County, MO | 23,470 | $56,625 | $229,237 | 31.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Iron County, Missouri.
How big is Iron County, Missouri by population?
About 9,446 people live in Iron County, Missouri, in 3,861 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Iron County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Iron County, Missouri has 17 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 20% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Iron County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($85,238 against $49,236), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $664 a month takes about 16% 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 Iron County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Iron County, Missouri is only 3.0%, 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 Iron County, Missouri?
17.5% of adults in Iron 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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