Shannon County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shannon 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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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Shannon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,177 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.2 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.64% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,882 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shannon County declined by 13.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,177 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shannon 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 1,302 18.1% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,225 17.1% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,610 22.4% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,667 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 50.1% of the people living in Shannon County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 49.9% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Shannon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Shannon County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Shannon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,188 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.23% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shannon County is about 21% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Shannon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $282,499 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $574 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.9% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shannon County is about 41.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $574 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shannon County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shannon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,615 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.9% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,224 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 152 | 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 Shannon County is 18 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
Shannon County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Shannon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 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
Shannon County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Shannon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.0% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.2% | 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).
Shannon County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Shannon County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon County, MO | 7,177 | $56,188 #1/2 | $282,499 #1/2 | 17.9 min #1/2 |
| Texas County, MO | 25,161 | $50,042 | $205,000 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shannon County, Missouri.
How many people live in Shannon County, Missouri?
About 7,177 people live in Shannon County, Missouri, in 2,882 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Shannon County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Shannon County, Missouri has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Shannon County, Missouri an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($282,499 against $56,188), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $574 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Shannon County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Shannon County, Missouri is only 1.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Shannon County, Missouri have a college degree?
14.1% of adults in Shannon County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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