Scott County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Scott 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 averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Scott County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,932 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 89.0 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,328 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Scott County declined by 6.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 37,932 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Scott County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.5% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,527 19.8% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,486 19.7% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,759 20.5% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,923 18.3% +0.3 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 51.7% of the people living in Scott County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 48.3% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Scott County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Scott County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Scott County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,714 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.50% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Scott County is about 13% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Scott County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $179,554 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $872 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.1% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Scott County is about 17.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $872 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Scott 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 136 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Scott County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.3 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.6 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 136 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,205 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,950 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 812 | 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 Scott 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
Scott County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Scott County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Scott County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Scott County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.2% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.4% | 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).
Scott County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Scott County, MO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, MO | 37,932 | $61,714 #2/3 | $179,554 #2/3 | 16.3 min #1/3 |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 82,735 | $67,617 | $214,661 | 17.0 min |
| Stoddard County, MO | 28,470 | $57,628 | $131,829 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Scott County, Missouri.
How many people live in Scott County, Missouri?
About 37,932 people live in Scott County, Missouri, in 15,328 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Scott County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Scott County, Missouri has 89 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Scott County, Missouri an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($179,554 against $61,714), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $872 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Scott County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Scott County, Missouri is only 2.9%, 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 Scott County, Missouri?
19.4% of adults in Scott 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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