Hickory County, Missouri

MO · FIPS 29085 Republican

Located in Missouri, Hickory County has a population of 8,585 residents and a median age of 55.2 years, making it the #2,601 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.8%. The median home value is $176,100, and the median household income is $39,390, which is 48% below the national median.

8,585
Population
#2,601 of 3,222
$39,390
Median Income
-47.6% #3,081 of 3,222
55.2 years
Median Age
+41.9% #57 of 3,222
19.8%
Poverty Rate
+56.8% #2,649 of 3,222

Demographics

Hickory County has a population of 8,585, making it the #2,601 most populous county in the US. The median age is 55.2 years, which is 41.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.8%
Native Born
0.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hickory County is $39,390, ranking #3,081 out of 3,222 counties — 47.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.8% and unemployment stands at 13.7%.

Income#3,081
$39,390
-47.6%
vs nation
4th percentile
Per Capita#3,008
$24,107
-41.6%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poverty#2,649
19.8%
+56.8%
vs nation
18th percentile
Unemployment#3,181
13.7%
+159.1%
vs nation
1th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hickory County is $176,100 (-37.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $648/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.4%.

Home Value#1,686
$176,100
-37.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Rent#2,944
$648
-44.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Homeownership#301
82.4%
+28.0%
vs nation
91th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hickory County, 12.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.0% below the national average, ranking #3,047 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.8% −62.0% vs nation
Rank #3,047 of 3,222
5th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hickory County is 73.1 years. 24.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,208
73.1
-2.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,679
24.6%
+25.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Diabetes#1,953
11.6%
+4.2%
vs nation
38th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,553
41.0%
+9.9%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,809
6.4
+13.6%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,948
5.5
+24.5%
vs nation
6th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,353
13.2%
+25.6%
vs nation
25th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,769
32.7%
+23.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,799
18.8%
+30.5%
vs nation
11th percentile

Substance Use

26.3% of adults in Hickory County smoke , 43.9% are obese , and 18.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 35.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,077
26.3%
+46.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,919
43.9%
+15.8%
vs nation
7th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,126
18.8%
-5.3%
vs nation
64th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,438
35.8
+10.6%
vs nation
32th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 41.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,950
23.3
+18.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,968
23.4
+31.0%
vs nation
20th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,726
41.8
+106.3%
vs nation
3th percentile

Families & Children

28.2% of children in Hickory County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,062
26.4
+21.0%
vs nation
31th percentile
Child Poverty#2,748
28.2%
+48.5%
vs nation
13th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hickory County is 64.5%. The mean commute time is 33.6 min, which is 21.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.6 min +21.6% vs nation
Rank #415 of 3,222
87th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hickory County voted Republican with a margin of 61.1%. The vote was 19.1% Dem / 80.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +61.1%
19.1% 80.2%
Dem 5,120 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.3%
20.8% 78.1%
Dem 5,080 votes Rep
2016 REP +53.5%
21.5% 75%
Dem 4,717 votes Rep
2012 REP +23.6%
37% 60.6%
Dem 4,680 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.3%
42.4% 55.7%
Dem 5,115 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hickory County, Missouri

Hickory County, Missouri has a total population of 8,585, making it the 2,601st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hickory County is 55.2 years, which is 41.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hickory County is $39,390, which ranks #3,081 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 47.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 13.7%.

The median home value in Hickory County is $176,100, 37.5% below the national median. Renters in Hickory County pay a median gross rent of $648 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hickory County, 12.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.6 min.

Hickory County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.8%).

All data for Hickory 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.