Lafayette County, Missouri

MO · FIPS 29107 Republican

Located in Missouri, Lafayette County has a population of 33,115 residents and a median age of 40.9 years, making it the #1,391 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.3%. The median home value is $216,500, and the median household income is $80,612, which is 7% above the national median.

33,115
Population
#1,391 of 3,222
$80,612
Median Income
+7.3% #559 of 3,222
40.9 years
Median Age
+5.1% #1,836 of 3,222
9.3%
Poverty Rate
-26.3% #642 of 3,222

Demographics

Lafayette County has a population of 33,115, making it the #1,391 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.7%
Native Born
2.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lafayette County is $80,612, ranking #559 out of 3,222 counties — 7.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.3% and unemployment stands at 3.0%.

Income#559
$80,612
+7.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Per Capita#1,336
$36,530
-11.5%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poverty#642
9.3%
-26.3%
vs nation
80th percentile
Unemployment#689
3.0%
-42.6%
vs nation
79th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lafayette County is $216,500 (-23.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $928/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.7%.

Home Value#1,237
$216,500
-23.2%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#1,288
$928
-20.2%
vs nation
60th percentile
Homeownership#1,416
75.7%
+17.6%
vs nation
56th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lafayette County, 26.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.2% below the national average, ranking #1,083 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.2% −22.2% vs nation
Rank #1,083 of 3,222
66th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lafayette County is 74.9 years. 19.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,647
74.9
-0.3%
vs nation
46th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,602
19.0%
-2.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Diabetes#972
9.7%
-12.9%
vs nation
69th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,382
40.3%
+8.0%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,443
5.6
-1.1%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,656
4.5
+0.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,108
11.9%
+13.2%
vs nation
33th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,983
27.9%
+5.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,328
13.5%
-6.3%
vs nation
58th percentile

Substance Use

20.6% of adults in Lafayette County smoke , 38.9% are obese , and 20.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 19.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,426
20.6%
+14.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,732
38.9%
+2.6%
vs nation
45th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,740
20.4%
+2.7%
vs nation
45th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#522
19.2
-40.5%
vs nation
75th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,985
23.8
+20.7%
vs nation
22th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,538
18.9
+5.7%
vs nation
38th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,743
21.4
+5.5%
vs nation
38th percentile

Families & Children

13.8% of children in Lafayette County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,067
8.2
+20.4%
vs nation
22th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,835
23.8
+8.8%
vs nation
39th percentile
Child Poverty#904
13.8%
-27.3%
vs nation
71th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lafayette County is 67.9%. The mean commute time is 27.7 min, which is 0.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.7 min +0.5% vs nation
Rank #1,316 of 3,222
59th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lafayette County voted Republican with a margin of 48.9%. The vote was 24.9% Dem / 73.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +48.9%
24.9% 73.8%
Dem 17,244 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.8%
26.2% 72%
Dem 17,055 votes Rep
2016 REP +43.8%
25.6% 69.4%
Dem 15,815 votes Rep
2012 REP +26.3%
35.8% 62.1%
Dem 15,786 votes Rep
2008 REP +15.3%
41.6% 56.9%
Dem 16,600 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lafayette County, Missouri

Lafayette County, Missouri has a total population of 33,115, making it the 1,391st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lafayette County is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lafayette County is $80,612, which ranks #559 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.0%.

The median home value in Lafayette County is $216,500, 23.2% below the national median. Renters in Lafayette County pay a median gross rent of $928 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lafayette County, 26.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.7 min.

Lafayette County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.5%).

All data for Lafayette 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.