Phelps County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Phelps County has a population of 45,194 residents and a median age of 35.8 years, making it the #1,098 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.8%. The median home value is $206,500, and the median household income is $58,396, which is 22% below the national median.
Demographics
Phelps County has a population of 45,194, making it the #1,098 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.8 years, which is 8.0% below 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 Phelps County is $58,396, ranking #2,232 out of 3,222 counties — 22.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.8% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Phelps County is $206,500 (-26.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $798/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Phelps County, 32.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 4.0% below the national average, ranking #607 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Phelps County is 73.2 years. 20.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.8% of adults in Phelps County smoke , 39.2% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 54.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Phelps County is 4.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.0% of children in Phelps County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Phelps County is 57.9%. The mean commute time is 20.9 min, which is 24.5% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Phelps County voted Republican with a margin of 42.9%. The vote was 27.9% Dem / 70.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Phelps County, Missouri
Phelps County, Missouri has a total population of 45,194, making it the 1,098th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Phelps County is 35.8 years, which is 8.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Phelps County is $58,396, which ranks #2,232 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 22.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.
The median home value in Phelps County is $206,500, 26.7% below the national median. Renters in Phelps County pay a median gross rent of $798 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Phelps County, 32.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.9 min.
Phelps County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.0%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (3.7%).
All data for Phelps 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.