Bates County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Bates County has a population of 16,186 residents and a median age of 41.4 years, making it the #2,087 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.9%. The median home value is $170,800, and the median household income is $60,733, which is 19% below the national median.
Demographics
Bates County has a population of 16,186, making it the #2,087 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Bates County is $60,733, ranking #2,017 out of 3,222 counties — 19.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.9% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Bates County is $170,800 (-39.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $786/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Bates County, 14.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 56.2% below the national average, ranking #2,847 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Bates County is 74.7 years. 19.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.8% of adults in Bates County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 14.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.4% of children in Bates County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 22.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Bates County is 67.7%. The mean commute time is 35.5 min, which is 28.8% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Bates County voted Republican with a margin of 61.7%. The vote was 18.7% Dem / 80.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Bates County, Missouri
Bates County, Missouri has a total population of 16,186, making it the 2,087th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Bates County is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Bates County is $60,733, which ranks #2,017 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.
The median home value in Bates County is $170,800, 39.4% below the national median. Renters in Bates County pay a median gross rent of $786 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Bates County, 14.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.5 min.
Bates County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.6%).
All data for Bates County, Missouri comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.