Putnam County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Putnam 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 averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 70% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Putnam County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,642 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.9 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.73% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.2 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,772 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Putnam County declined by 6.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,642 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Putnam County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.2% of residents. That is 5.3 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 807 17.4% -3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 783 16.9% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 914 19.7% on par
- Boomers 61–79 1,077 23.2% +5.3 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 48.5% of the people living in Putnam County and men 51.5%.
- Women 48.5% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 51.5% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Putnam County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Putnam County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Putnam County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,552 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.72% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Putnam County is about 10% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Putnam County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $241,666 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $521 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.0% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Putnam County is about 38.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $521 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Putnam County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 139 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Putnam County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.6 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.3 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 139 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,300 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,041 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 160 | 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 Putnam 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
Putnam County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Putnam County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 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
Putnam County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Putnam County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.3 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.0% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 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).
Putnam County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Putnam County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, MO | 4,642 | $63,552 #1/2 | $241,666 #1/2 | 16.6 min #2/2 |
| Adair County, MO | 25,301 | $61,312 | $97,387 | 12.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Putnam County, Missouri.
What is the population of Putnam County, Missouri?
About 4,642 people live in Putnam County, Missouri, in 1,772 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 46.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Putnam County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Putnam County, Missouri has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Putnam County, Missouri?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($241,666 against $63,552), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $521 a month takes about 10% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Putnam County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Putnam County, 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.
How educated are people in Putnam County, Missouri?
18.0% of adults in Putnam County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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