Buchanan County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Buchanan County has a population of 83,568 residents and a median age of 38.9 years, making it the #700 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.0%. The median home value is $166,300, and the median household income is $62,158, which is 17% below the national median.
Demographics
Buchanan County has a population of 83,568, making it the #700 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.9 years, which is 0.0% below 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 Buchanan County is $62,158, ranking #1,883 out of 3,222 counties — 17.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.0% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Buchanan County is $166,300 (-41.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $902/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Buchanan County, 23.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 29.2% below the national average, ranking #1,389 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Buchanan County is 73.4 years. 19.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.2% of adults in Buchanan County smoke , 40.1% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 35.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Buchanan County is 8.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.0 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.0% of children in Buchanan County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 29.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Buchanan County is 55.0%. The mean commute time is 20.1 min, which is 27.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Buchanan County voted Republican with a margin of 28.0%. The vote was 35.3% Dem / 63.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Buchanan County, Missouri
Buchanan County, Missouri has a total population of 83,568, making it the 700th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buchanan County is 38.9 years.
The median household income in Buchanan County is $62,158, which ranks #1,883 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Buchanan County is $166,300, 41.0% below the national median. Renters in Buchanan County pay a median gross rent of $902 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Buchanan County, 23.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 29.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.1 min.
Buchanan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (5.6%).
All data for Buchanan 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.