Pettis County, Missouri

MO · FIPS 29159 Republican

Located in Missouri, Pettis County has a population of 43,397 residents and a median age of 38.2 years, making it the #1,141 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.6%. The median home value is $166,300, and the median household income is $60,430, which is 20% below the national median.

43,397
Population
#1,141 of 3,222
$60,430
Median Income
-19.6% #2,048 of 3,222
38.2 years
Median Age
-1.8% #2,545 of 3,222
15.6%
Poverty Rate
+23.8% #2,056 of 3,222

Demographics

Pettis County has a population of 43,397, making it the #1,141 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.2 years, which is 1.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.8%
Native Born
7.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Pettis County is $60,430, ranking #2,048 out of 3,222 counties — 19.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.6% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.

Income#2,048
$60,430
-19.6%
vs nation
36th percentile
Per Capita#2,321
$30,640
-25.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poverty#2,056
15.6%
+23.8%
vs nation
36th percentile
Unemployment#1,217
3.8%
-27.8%
vs nation
62th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Pettis County is $166,300 (-41.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $885/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.1%.

Home Value#1,881
$166,300
-41.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Rent#1,519
$885
-23.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Homeownership#2,388
69.1%
+7.4%
vs nation
26th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Pettis County, 18.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.4% below the national average, ranking #2,279 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.4% −45.4% vs nation
Rank #2,279 of 3,222
29th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Pettis County is 74.7 years. 19.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,729
74.7
-0.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,759
19.6%
+0.2%
vs nation
44th percentile
Diabetes#1,378
10.4%
-6.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,892
38.6%
+3.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,833
5.8
+2.1%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,545
5.0
+13.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,520
14.0%
+33.7%
vs nation
20th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,788
27.0%
+2.3%
vs nation
43th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,101
15.8%
+9.7%
vs nation
33th percentile

Substance Use

19.4% of adults in Pettis County smoke , 39.0% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 11.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,110
19.4%
+8.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,755
39.0%
+2.9%
vs nation
44th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,999
21.0%
+5.7%
vs nation
36th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#102
11.6
-64.0%
vs nation
95th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Pettis County is 3.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#372
3.7
-54.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Suicide Rate#766
15.1
-23.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#797
13.6
-24.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,440
18.8
-7.4%
vs nation
49th percentile

Families & Children

16.2% of children in Pettis County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,332
30.0
+37.3%
vs nation
22th percentile
Child Poverty#1,297
16.2%
-14.7%
vs nation
59th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Pettis County is 63.3%. The mean commute time is 20.9 min, which is 24.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.9 min −24.2% vs nation
Rank #2,716 of 3,222
16th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Pettis County voted Republican with a margin of 48.8%. The vote was 24.9% Dem / 73.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +48.8%
24.9% 73.7%
Dem 18,877 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.5%
25% 72.5%
Dem 19,097 votes Rep
2016 REP +46.9%
24% 70.9%
Dem 18,045 votes Rep
2012 REP +28.7%
34.4% 63.1%
Dem 17,171 votes Rep
2008 REP +22.4%
38.1% 60.5%
Dem 18,208 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Pettis County, Missouri

Pettis County, Missouri has a total population of 43,397, making it the 1,141st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pettis County is 38.2 years, which is 1.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Pettis County is $60,430, which ranks #2,048 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.

The median home value in Pettis County is $166,300, 41.0% below the national median. Renters in Pettis County pay a median gross rent of $885 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Pettis County, 18.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.9 min.

Pettis County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 82.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).

All data for Pettis 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.