Howard County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Howard County has a population of 10,147 residents and a median age of 39.0 years, making it the #2,471 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.0%. The median home value is $159,400, and the median household income is $65,938, which is 12% below the national median.
Demographics
Howard County has a population of 10,147, making it the #2,471 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.0 years, which is 0.3% 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 Howard County is $65,938, ranking #1,551 out of 3,222 counties — 12.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.0% and unemployment stands at 3.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Howard County is $159,400 (-43.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $832/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Howard County, 28.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 16.4% below the national average, ranking #909 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Howard County is 76.1 years. 19.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.2% of adults in Howard County smoke , 40.0% are obese , and 21.1% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 34.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.4% of children in Howard County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Howard County is 64.9%. The mean commute time is 28.7 min, which is 4.1% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Howard County voted Republican with a margin of 44.2%. The vote was 27.1% Dem / 71.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Howard County, Missouri
Howard County, Missouri has a total population of 10,147, making it the 2,471st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Howard County is 39.0 years, which is 0.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Howard County is $65,938, which ranks #1,551 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.7%.
The median home value in Howard County is $159,400, 43.5% below the national median. Renters in Howard County pay a median gross rent of $832 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Howard County, 28.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 16.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.7 min.
Howard County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
All data for Howard 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.