Vernon County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Vernon 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
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Vernon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,687 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.5 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.73% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,741 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Vernon County declined by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,687 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Vernon County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.7% of residents. That is 0.5 points below Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,073 20.7% -0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,444 17.5% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,971 20.2% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,006 20.3% +2.4 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 51.1% of the people living in Vernon County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 48.9% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Vernon County
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Economy
Vernon County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Vernon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,977 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.42% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Vernon County is about 25% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Vernon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $96,250 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $733 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Vernon County is about 10.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $733 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Vernon County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Vernon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.3 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.5 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,943 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,607 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 425 | 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 Vernon County is 15 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
Vernon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Vernon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.5% | 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
Vernon County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Vernon County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.8% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.6% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Vernon County, Missouri.
How big is Vernon County, Missouri by population?
About 19,687 people live in Vernon County, Missouri, in 7,741 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Vernon County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Vernon County, Missouri has 24 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 27% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Vernon County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($96,250 against $52,977), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $733 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Vernon County, Missouri?
16.5% of adults in Vernon 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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