Phelps County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Phelps 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 86% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 73% of counties in Missouri
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 90% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Phelps County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,194 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 67.1 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.10% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,329 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Phelps County grew by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,194 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Phelps County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.6% of residents. That is 6.4 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,464 27.6% +6.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,364 18.5% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,453 18.7% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,508 16.6% -1.3 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 47.8% of the people living in Phelps County and men 52.2%.
- Women 47.8% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 52.2% Missouri 49.3%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Phelps County
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Economy
Phelps County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Phelps County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,562 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.40% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Phelps County is about 17% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Phelps County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $103,409 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $797 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.7% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Phelps County is about 10.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $797 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Phelps County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Phelps County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.5 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.1 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,016 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,856 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 642 | 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 Phelps 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
Phelps County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Phelps County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.8% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Phelps County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Phelps County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.4% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 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).
Phelps County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Phelps County, MO is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 45,194 residents against a local median of 25,161. Where Phelps County, MO breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 45% below the local median of $189,717 at $103,409.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.5 min against a local median of 20.2 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Phelps County, MO at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $157,242 on median home price, so Phelps County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Phelps County, MO has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County, MO | 45,194 | $58,562 #2/4 | $103,409 #3/4 | 15.5 min #1/4 |
| Pulaski County, MO | 53,894 | $65,978 | $189,717 | 17.3 min |
| Crawford County, MO | 22,797 | $58,081 | $47,758 | 21.3 min |
| Texas County, MO | 25,161 | $50,042 | $205,000 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phelps County, Missouri.
How many people live in Phelps County, Missouri?
About 45,194 people live in Phelps County, Missouri, in 17,329 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Phelps County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Phelps County, Missouri has 67 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 Phelps County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($103,409 against $58,562), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $797 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 Phelps County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Phelps County, Missouri is only 3.9%, 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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