COUNTY
Cole County
Missouri · 77,908 residents (2025 est.) · 392 sq mi
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Part of the Jefferson City metro area
The short version
With 77,032 people, Cole County is a county in Missouri. That puts it in the top 7% of US counties for household income. 3% of people here were born outside the United States. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $229,600. Getting to work takes 18 minutes on average. Renters pay $834 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
77,032
+8%since 2000
from 71,397 in 2000
77,908 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
392 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202477K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(4,346)
5 to 95.7%(4,355)
10 to 146.7%(5,168)
15 to 196.6%(5,111)
20 to 246.3%(4,849)
25 to 3413%(9,992)
35 to 4413.4%(10,319)
45 to 5412%(9,238)
55 to 6412.7%(9,764)
65 to 7410.7%(8,253)
75 to 845.5%(4,231)
85 and over1.8%(1,406)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$74,876
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,924 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
49.9%
+17.5 ptssince 2009
from 32.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11%
Wholesale trade8.1%
Retail trade8%
Other services7.2%
Public administration6.3%
Finance & insurance4.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
Education & health services1.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
Construction0.5%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$229,600
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $96,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.1
+23%since 2009
from 2.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
48
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic86.4%(61,684)
Black9.9%(7,049)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(915)
Asian0.9%(621)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic79.2%(61,045)
Black9.7%(7,484)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(2,807)
Asian1.4%(1,086)
Other6%(4,610)
45
+35%since 2009
from 33 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
26
−9%since 2020
from 29 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.5%(1,943)
Central American0.4%(300)
Nicaraguan0.3%(207)
Puerto Rican0.3%(201)
Guatemalan0.1%(47)
South American0.1%(42)
Dominican0%(29)
Salvadoran0%(24)
Cuban0%(22)
Honduran0%(20)
Colombian0%(19)
Spaniard0%(16)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.7%(534)
Taiwanese0.2%(183)
Filipino0.2%(166)
Vietnamese0.1%(113)
Chinese0.1%(53)
Thai0%(26)
Japanese0%(25)
Korean0%(17)
Nepalese0%(10)
Ancestry
German29.8%(22,958)
English11%(8,511)
Irish9.1%(6,996)
American8.8%(6,775)
French2.5%(1,888)
Scottish1.9%(1,431)
Italian1.6%(1,243)
Dutch1.1%(885)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(834)
Swedish0.8%(652)
Polish0.8%(582)
Subsaharan African0.7%(511)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.6%(498)
Welsh0.6%(425)
British0.4%(319)
West Indian0.4%(306)
Swiss0.3%(268)
Jamaican0.2%(174)
French Canadian0.2%(138)
Russian0.2%(121)
Czech0.1%(110)
Greek0.1%(101)
Danish0.1%(100)
Hungarian0.1%(87)
Iranian0.1%(86)
Nigerian0.1%(80)
Arab0.1%(73)
Romanian0.1%(70)
Canadian0.1%(68)
Brazilian0.1%(63)
Ghanaian0.1%(57)
Austrian0.1%(55)
Haitian0.1%(55)
Ukrainian0.1%(44)
Portuguese0%(37)
Lithuanian0%(34)
Croatian0%(28)
Palestinian0%(27)
Barbadian0%(23)
Slovene0%(17)
Australian0%(13)
Moroccan0%(11)
Serbian0%(8)
Armenian0%(7)
Belgian0%(3)
Finnish0%(3)
Lebanese0%(2)
Syrian0%(2)
Bulgarian0%(2)
Slovak0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.2%
+8.9 ptssince 2000
from 85.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 80.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.1%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 91.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.3%(11,249)
Married51.4%(16,382)
Widowed3.6%(1,138)
Divorced9.6%(3,072)
Women 15+
Never married26.4%(8,278)
Married49.7%(15,581)
Widowed9.7%(3,023)
Divorced14.2%(4,440)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
12.7%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 10.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 78.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.1%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 28.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)26.5%(1,214)
Gulf War (1990s)20.2%(928)
Vietnam era42.1%(1,932)
Korean War3.6%(165)
World War II0%(0)
Share of the 4,585 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
Drill deeper
Places similar to Cole County
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Pop 80,892
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Pop 76,664
Catoosa County
Pop 69,628
Morgan County
Pop 74,967
Places similar to Cole CountyHead to head
Compare Cole County to nearby counties
COLE COUNTY VS
Moniteau County
Income$65,715−12%
Home value$181,900−21%
Population15,428−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLE COUNTY VS
Miller County
Income$56,736−24%
Home value$192,600−16%
Population25,817−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLE COUNTY VS
Osage County
Income$76,681+2%
Home value$223,300−3%
Population13,611−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLE COUNTY VS
Callaway County
Income$74,176−1%
Home value$201,600−12%
Population45,765−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Cole County, Missouri?
Cole County, Missouri has about 77,032 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cole County, Missouri?
The typical household in Cole County, Missouri earns about $74,876 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cole County, Missouri expensive?
In Cole County, Missouri, the median home is worth about $229,600, and the typical rent is about $834 a month.
How educated are people in Cole County, Missouri?
About 38.9% of adults age 25 and over in Cole County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cole County, Missouri?
About 9.0% of people in Cole County, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cole County, Missouri grown since 1990?
Yes, Cole County, Missouri has grown since 1990. The population has added about 13,453 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.
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18 census tracts
Census Tract 201.98Census Tract 204Census Tract 108.01Census Tract 107.01Census Tract 107.02Census Tract 206Census Tract 103Census Tract 105Census Tract 202Census Tract 108.02Census Tract 203Census Tract 104.01Census Tract 106Census Tract 109.01Census Tract 109.02Census Tract 205Census Tract 104.02Census Tract 207Up the hierarchy
All counties in MissouriDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024