Mississippi County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mississippi 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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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 94% of counties in Missouri
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F
Income Well below averageLeast wealthy county in Missouri
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mississippi County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,898 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 27.7 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.10% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,482 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mississippi County declined by 11.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,898 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mississippi County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,475 20.8% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,429 20.4% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,470 20.8% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,166 18.2% +0.3 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 47.6% of the people living in Mississippi County and men 52.4%.
- Women 47.6% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 52.4% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mississippi County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mississippi County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,699 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.66% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mississippi County is about 31% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Mississippi County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $14,749 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $762 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mississippi County is about 1.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $762 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mississippi County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.4 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,701 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,793 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 453 | 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 Mississippi County is 18 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
Mississippi County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.6% | 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
Mississippi County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Mississippi County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.9% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.1% | 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).
Mississippi County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Mississippi County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi County, MO | 11,898 | $48,699 #2/2 | $14,749 #2/2 | 18.2 min #2/2 |
| Scott County, MO | 37,932 | $61,714 | $179,554 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mississippi County, Missouri.
How big is Mississippi County, Missouri by population?
About 11,898 people live in Mississippi County, Missouri, in 4,482 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Mississippi County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Mississippi County, Missouri has 28 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 32% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Mississippi County, Missouri an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($14,749 against $48,699), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $762 a month takes about 19% 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 Mississippi County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Mississippi County, Missouri is only 2.7%, 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 Mississippi County, Missouri?
12.6% of adults in Mississippi County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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