Pulaski County, Missouri

MO · FIPS 29169 Republican

Located in Missouri, Pulaski County has a population of 53,894 residents and a median age of 27.8 years, making it the #962 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $189,800, and the median household income is $64,466, which is 14% below the national median.

53,894
Population
#962 of 3,222
$64,466
Median Income
-14.2% #1,674 of 3,222
27.8 years
Median Age
-28.5% #3,199 of 3,222
12.7%
Poverty Rate
+0.6% #1,439 of 3,222

Demographics

Pulaski County has a population of 53,894, making it the #962 most populous county in the US. The median age is 27.8 years, which is 28.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.2%
Native Born
4.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Pulaski County is $64,466, ranking #1,674 out of 3,222 counties — 14.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#1,674
$64,466
-14.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Per Capita#2,399
$30,154
-26.9%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poverty#1,439
12.7%
+0.6%
vs nation
55th percentile
Unemployment#721
3.1%
-41.7%
vs nation
78th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Pulaski County is $189,800 (-32.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,112/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.2%.

Home Value#1,519
$189,800
-32.7%
vs nation
53th percentile
Rent#689
$1,112
-4.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Homeownership#2,966
61.2%
-5.0%
vs nation
8th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Pulaski County, 25.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 23.4% below the national average, ranking #1,139 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.8% −23.4% vs nation
Rank #1,139 of 3,222
65th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Pulaski County is 73.7 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,017
73.7
-1.9%
vs nation
34th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,241
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#1,429
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,867
42.6%
+14.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,549
5.6
-0.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,935
4.6
+3.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,700
10.0%
-4.4%
vs nation
46th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,131
24.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
64th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,124
15.9%
+10.4%
vs nation
33th percentile

Substance Use

18.0% of adults in Pulaski County smoke , 35.4% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 55.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,669
18.0%
+0.2%
vs nation
47th percentile
Adult Obesity#805
35.4%
-6.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,602
20.1%
+0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,905
55.5
+71.5%
vs nation
10th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Pulaski County is 3.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#397
3.8
-52.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,170
17.6
-11.0%
vs nation
54th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,164
16.2
-9.2%
vs nation
53th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#952
14.9
-26.6%
vs nation
66th percentile

Families & Children

11.9% of children in Pulaski County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 19.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#210
4.7
-30.3%
vs nation
85th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,461
19.9
-8.7%
vs nation
51th percentile
Child Poverty#576
11.9%
-37.3%
vs nation
82th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Pulaski County is 36.3%. The mean commute time is 21.7 min, which is 21.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
36.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.7 min −21.3% vs nation
Rank #2,578 of 3,222
20th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Pulaski County voted Republican with a margin of 50.3%. The vote was 24.2% Dem / 74.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +50.3%
24.2% 74.5%
Dem 15,545 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.8%
25.9% 71.7%
Dem 14,414 votes Rep
2016 REP +51.7%
21.7% 73.4%
Dem 13,443 votes Rep
2012 REP +36.1%
30.9% 67%
Dem 13,571 votes Rep
2008 REP +28.7%
35% 63.7%
Dem 15,000 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Pulaski County, Missouri

Pulaski County, Missouri has a total population of 53,894, making it the 962nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pulaski County is 27.8 years, which is 28.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Pulaski County is $64,466, which ranks #1,674 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Pulaski County is $189,800, 32.7% below the national median. Renters in Pulaski County pay a median gross rent of $1,112 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Pulaski County, 25.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.7 min.

Pulaski County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 68.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (10.1%).

All data for Pulaski 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.