Saline County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Saline 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 average
-
D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Saline County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,231 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.3 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.01% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,053 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Saline County grew by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,231 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Saline County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.4% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,670 24.4% +3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,339 18.7% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,272 18.4% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,074 17.5% -0.4 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 50.0% of the people living in Saline County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 50.0% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Saline County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Saline County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Saline County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,602 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.67% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Saline County is about 17% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Saline County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $290,384 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $738 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Saline County is about 32.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $738 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Saline County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Saline County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.9 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.8 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,076 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,515 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 294 | 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 Saline County is 12 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
Saline County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Saline County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 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
Saline County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Saline County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.2% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 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).
Saline County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Saline County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County, MO | 23,231 | $58,602 #2/2 | $290,384 #1/2 | 11.9 min #1/2 |
| Pettis County, MO | 43,397 | $60,475 | $144,791 | 15.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Saline County, Missouri.
What is the population of Saline County, Missouri?
About 23,231 people live in Saline County, Missouri, in 8,053 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 35.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Saline County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Saline County, Missouri has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Saline County, Missouri?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($290,384 against $58,602), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $738 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Saline County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Saline County, Missouri is only 3.2%, 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 Saline County, Missouri?
20.9% of adults in Saline 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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