McDonald County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McDonald 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 87% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | McDonald County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,701 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 43.9 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.53% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,557 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McDonald County grew by 3.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,701 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McDonald County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.0% of residents. That is 0.2 points below Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,966 21.0% -0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,813 20.3% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,845 20.4% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,001 16.9% -1.0 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 48.7% of the people living in McDonald County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 51.3% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in McDonald County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
McDonald County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | McDonald County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,681 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.22% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McDonald County is about 24% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | McDonald County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $109,091 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $767 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.3% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McDonald County is about 11.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $767 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McDonald County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McDonald County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.8 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.7 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,161 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,213 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,361 | 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 McDonald County is 24 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
McDonald County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | McDonald County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.75 | 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
McDonald County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | McDonald County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.5% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.7% | 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).
McDonald County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
McDonald County, MO is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 23,701 residents against a local median of 41,279. McDonald County, MO's commute, at 23.8 min, runs 19% above the 20.1 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 6.4 min on commute, so McDonald County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. McDonald County, MO has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald County, MO | 23,701 | $53,681 #5/6 | $109,091 #4/6 | 23.8 min #6/6 |
| Newton County, MO | 60,118 | $65,823 | $70,854 | 20.4 min |
| Benton County, AR | 303,622 | $93,533 | $246,475 | 20.1 min |
| Delaware County, OK | 41,279 | $56,237 | $159,375 | 23.4 min |
| Ottawa County, OK | 30,341 | $49,940 | $95,116 | 16.9 min |
| Barry County, MO | 35,028 | $58,172 | $112,503 | 17.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McDonald County, Missouri.
How many people live in McDonald County, Missouri?
About 23,701 people live in McDonald County, Missouri, in 8,557 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is McDonald County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, McDonald County, Missouri has 44 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 51% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is McDonald County, Missouri an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($109,091 against $53,681), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $767 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in McDonald County, Missouri?
Unemployment in McDonald County, Missouri is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in McDonald County, Missouri have a college degree?
11.1% of adults in McDonald County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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