Pulaski County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pulaski 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 89% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 86% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pulaski County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,894 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 97.8 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.14% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 25.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,851 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pulaski County grew by 20.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 53,894 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pulaski County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 36.7% of residents. That is 15.6 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,804 36.7% +15.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,734 21.8% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,114 13.2% -6.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,177 9.6% -8.3 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 44.5% of the people living in Pulaski County and men 55.5%.
- Women 44.5% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 55.5% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pulaski County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pulaski County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,978 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.73% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pulaski County is about 7% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Pulaski County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $189,717 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,112 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pulaski County is about 14.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,112 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pulaski County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.6 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,469 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.7% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,897 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 506 | 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 Pulaski County is 17 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
Pulaski County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 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
Pulaski County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pulaski County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.9% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.6% | 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).
Pulaski County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Pulaski County, MO is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 53,894 residents against a local median of 30,830. The measure that sets Pulaski County, MO apart most is median home price: $189,717, 39% above the local median of $136,553.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $65,978 against a local median of $55,675, 19% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 19% above the local median it puts Pulaski County, MO at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $172,750 on median home price, so Pulaski County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Pulaski County, MO has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, MO | 53,894 | $65,978 #1/5 | $189,717 #2/5 | 17.3 min #3/5 |
| Laclede County, MO | 36,390 | $53,754 | $32,250 | 16.9 min |
| Phelps County, MO | 45,194 | $58,562 | $103,409 | 15.5 min |
| Miller County, MO | 25,269 | $57,595 | $169,696 | 28.2 min |
| Texas County, MO | 25,161 | $50,042 | $205,000 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pulaski County, Missouri.
How many people live in Pulaski County, Missouri?
About 53,894 people live in Pulaski County, Missouri, in 16,851 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 25.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is Pulaski County, Missouri mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Pulaski County, Missouri has 98 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 Pulaski County, Missouri?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($189,717 against $65,978), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,112 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Pulaski County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Pulaski County, Missouri is only 3.1%, 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 Pulaski County, Missouri?
21.6% of adults in Pulaski County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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