With 10,885 people, Kearney is a city in Missouri. The population has more than doubled since 2000, adding 5,413 people. That puts it in the top 7% of US cities for household income. That is roughly 47% ahead of the Missouri median. The foreign-born share is 1%. The poverty rate is 3.6%, under the national 12.5%.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $103,622, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 44%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Kearney
What changed most since 1990
Population1,810 → 10,885(+501%)US over the same years: +35%
Homes owned by their occupants51.4% → 74.5%(+23.1 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
White share97.6% → 94.1%(−3.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Kearney's population equals 4.2% of Clay County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 1.0% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 1.8% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.8%(78)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(98)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.2%(159)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.7%(17)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 465 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Kearney, decade by decade
Kearney population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
1,810
$78,537
$173,045
16.6%
5.8
2000
5,472
$103,111
$207,851
24.2%
8.9
2010
8,381
$98,595
$239,810
29.9%
12.8
2020
10,404
$103,628
$250,044
31.4%
23.7
2024
10,885
$103,622
$298,400
36.8%
14.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
