Dent County, Missouri

MO · FIPS 29065 Republican

Located in Missouri, Dent County has a population of 14,539 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #2,184 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.2%. The median home value is $167,500, and the median household income is $56,312, which is 25% below the national median.

14,539
Population
#2,184 of 3,222
$56,312
Median Income
-25.1% #2,391 of 3,222
43.5 years
Median Age
+11.8% #1,066 of 3,222
12.2%
Poverty Rate
-3.0% #1,328 of 3,222

Demographics

Dent County has a population of 14,539, making it the #2,184 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Dent County is $56,312, ranking #2,391 out of 3,222 counties — 25.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.2% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#2,391
$56,312
-25.1%
vs nation
26th percentile
Per Capita#2,447
$29,909
-27.5%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poverty#1,328
12.2%
-3.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Unemployment#1,616
4.4%
-16.4%
vs nation
50th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Dent County is $167,500 (-40.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $660/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.9%.

Home Value#1,860
$167,500
-40.6%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#2,903
$660
-43.3%
vs nation
10th percentile
Homeownership#1,384
75.9%
+17.9%
vs nation
57th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Dent County, 16.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.1% below the national average, ranking #2,596 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.5% −51.1% vs nation
Rank #2,596 of 3,222
19th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Dent County is 71.1 years. 22.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,685
71.1
-5.3%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,279
22.2%
+13.5%
vs nation
28th percentile
Diabetes#1,817
11.3%
+1.5%
vs nation
42th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,487
40.7%
+9.1%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,317
6.0
+6.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,732
5.2
+17.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,507
13.9%
+33.1%
vs nation
20th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,131
28.6%
+8.4%
vs nation
32th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,646
17.9%
+24.3%
vs nation
16th percentile

Substance Use

23.2% of adults in Dent County smoke , 38.9% are obese , and 20.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 58.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,861
23.2%
+29.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,730
38.9%
+2.6%
vs nation
45th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,561
20.0%
+0.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,940
58.6
+81.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,930
23.1
+17.4%
vs nation
25th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,511
18.6
+3.9%
vs nation
39th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,121
25.4
+25.5%
vs nation
25th percentile

Families & Children

22.9% of children in Dent County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 25.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,000
25.8
+18.2%
vs nation
33th percentile
Child Poverty#2,296
22.9%
+20.6%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Dent County is 59.7%. The mean commute time is 23.5 min, which is 14.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.5 min −14.8% vs nation
Rank #2,248 of 3,222
30th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Dent County voted Republican with a margin of 70.3%. The vote was 14.4% Dem / 84.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +70.3%
14.4% 84.7%
Dem 7,103 votes Rep
2020 REP +69.0%
14.8% 83.8%
Dem 7,142 votes Rep
2016 REP +68.2%
14.4% 82.6%
Dem 6,778 votes Rep
2012 REP +49.6%
23.9% 73.5%
Dem 6,643 votes Rep
2008 REP +37.9%
29.9% 67.8%
Dem 6,868 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Dent County, Missouri

Dent County, Missouri has a total population of 14,539, making it the 2,184th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Dent County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Dent County is $56,312, which ranks #2,391 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Dent County is $167,500, 40.6% below the national median. Renters in Dent County pay a median gross rent of $660 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Dent County, 16.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.5 min.

Dent County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.2%).

All data for Dent 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.