Ripley County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Ripley County has a population of 10,708 residents and a median age of 40.7 years, making it the #2,438 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.8%. The median home value is $119,600, and the median household income is $42,037, which is 44% below the national median.
Demographics
Ripley County has a population of 10,708, making it the #2,438 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% 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 Ripley County is $42,037, ranking #3,029 out of 3,222 counties — 44.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.8% and unemployment stands at 3.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Ripley County is $119,600 (-57.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $654/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Ripley County, 12.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.7% below the national average, ranking #3,064 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Ripley County is 68.4 years. 25.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
26.1% of adults in Ripley County smoke , 42.8% are obese , and 18.5% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Ripley County is 12.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 25.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.0 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
27.7% of children in Ripley County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 38.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Ripley County is 54.9%. The mean commute time is 35.5 min, which is 28.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Ripley County voted Republican with a margin of 73.1%. The vote was 13.1% Dem / 86.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Ripley County, Missouri
Ripley County, Missouri has a total population of 10,708, making it the 2,438th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Ripley County is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Ripley County is $42,037, which ranks #3,029 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 44.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.7%.
The median home value in Ripley County is $119,600, 57.6% below the national median. Renters in Ripley County pay a median gross rent of $654 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Ripley County, 12.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.5 min.
Ripley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.5%).
All data for Ripley 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.