Knox County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Knox 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 80% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Knox County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,756 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.4 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.77% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,288 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Knox County declined by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,756 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Knox County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.1% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 720 19.2% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 590 15.7% -5.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 767 20.4% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 791 21.1% +3.1 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 Knox County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.9% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Knox County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Knox County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Knox County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,891 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.29% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Knox County is about 20% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Knox County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $86,249 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $666 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.1% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Knox County is about 10.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $666 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Knox County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Knox County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.4 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,189 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,377 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 134 | 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 Knox County is 16 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
Knox County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Knox County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.81 | 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
Knox County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Knox County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.6% | 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).
Knox County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Knox County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, MO | 3,756 | $56,891 #2/2 | $86,249 #2/2 | 16.2 min #2/2 |
| Adair County, MO | 25,301 | $61,312 | $97,387 | 12.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Knox County, Missouri.
What is the population of Knox County, Missouri?
About 3,756 people live in Knox County, Missouri, in 1,288 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Knox County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Knox County, Missouri has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 9% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Knox County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($86,249 against $56,891), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $666 a month takes about 14% 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 Knox County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Knox County, Missouri is only 1.1%, 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 Knox County, Missouri?
14.3% of adults in Knox County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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