Vernon County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Vernon County has a population of 19,687 residents and a median age of 41.9 years, making it the #1,904 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.8%. The median home value is $158,800, and the median household income is $52,230, which is 30% below the national median.
Demographics
Vernon County has a population of 19,687, making it the #1,904 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% 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 Vernon County is $52,230, ranking #2,646 out of 3,222 counties — 30.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.8% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Vernon County is $158,800 (-43.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $734/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Vernon County, 16.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.8% below the national average, ranking #2,573 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Vernon County is 72.6 years. 21.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
23.1% of adults in Vernon County smoke , 41.3% are obese , and 19.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 23.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.8 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.3% of children in Vernon County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Vernon County is 59.2%. The mean commute time is 21.7 min, which is 21.5% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Vernon County voted Republican with a margin of 59.5%. The vote was 19.8% Dem / 79.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Vernon County, Missouri
Vernon County, Missouri has a total population of 19,687, making it the 1,904th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Vernon County is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Vernon County is $52,230, which ranks #2,646 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.
The median home value in Vernon County is $158,800, 43.7% below the national median. Renters in Vernon County pay a median gross rent of $734 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Vernon County, 16.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.7 min.
Vernon County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.7%).
All data for Vernon 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.