Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Missouri Population Density Map and Area Scores
State 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 states in the US
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Missouri | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Missouri grew by 4.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,186,340 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Missouri is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.3% of residents. That is 0.9 points below the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,311,130 21.2% -0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,316,298 21.3% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,213,695 19.6% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,108,385 17.9% +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 the US, 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 50.7% of the people living in Missouri and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% the US 50.5%
- Men 49.3% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Missouri
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Missouri has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Missouri | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Missouri is about 12% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Missouri | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Missouri is about 11.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,033 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Missouri spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Missouri | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 Missouri is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
Missouri has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Missouri | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
Missouri has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Missouri | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
Missouri Compared With Nearby States
Missouri is the 2nd largest of the 6 states compared here, 6,186,340 residents against a local median of 3,204,793. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes Missouri an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 13% above the local median at 21.0 min against 18.6 min. Missouri has the 5th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 6,186,340 | $70,801 #4/6 | $145,462 #3/6 | 21.0 min #5/6 |
| Arkansas | 3,049,066 | $60,940 | $111,957 | 18.6 min |
| Illinois | 12,692,444 | $84,042 | $149,936 | 23.6 min |
| Iowa | 3,204,793 | $75,133 | $153,425 | 17.0 min |
| Oklahoma | 4,028,385 | $65,606 | $133,462 | 19.0 min |
| Kansas | 2,945,842 | $74,287 | $104,644 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Missouri.
How many people live in Missouri?
About 6,186,340 people live in Missouri, in 2,507,647 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Missouri has 89 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Missouri?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($145,462 against $70,801), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,033 a month takes about 18% 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 Missouri?
Unemployment in Missouri is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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