Howell County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Howell County has a population of 40,383 residents and a median age of 40.3 years, making it the #1,198 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.3%. The median home value is $173,000, and the median household income is $50,993, which is 32% below the national median.
Demographics
Howell County has a population of 40,383, making it the #1,198 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% 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 Howell County is $50,993, ranking #2,717 out of 3,222 counties — 32.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.3% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Howell County is $173,000 (-38.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $733/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Howell County, 17.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 47.1% below the national average, ranking #2,382 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Howell County is 72.6 years. 23.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
25.2% of adults in Howell County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 18.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 10.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Howell County is 6.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.3% of children in Howell County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 36.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Howell County is 61.6%. The mean commute time is 24.4 min, which is 11.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Howell County voted Republican with a margin of 66.8%. The vote was 16.2% Dem / 83% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Howell County, Missouri
Howell County, Missouri has a total population of 40,383, making it the 1,198th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Howell County is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Howell County is $50,993, which ranks #2,717 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.
The median home value in Howell County is $173,000, 38.6% below the national median. Renters in Howell County pay a median gross rent of $733 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Howell County, 17.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.4 min.
Howell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.6%).
All data for Howell 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.