United States › Missouri › Ripley County COUNTY
Ripley County Missouri · 10,717 residents (2025 est.) · 630 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Ripley County is a county of 10,708 people in Missouri. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Households here earn about 41% less than in Missouri as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $119,600. 79% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 24.8%, above the 12.5% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 41%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 13,509 in 2000
10,717 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 21 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Ripley County Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $42,037
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $22,761 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $12,889 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 22.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.405 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 8.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.4%
Public administration 3.5%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Education & health services 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
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$119,600
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$654
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $306 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 77.9% in 2000
20.9% rent
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.65 people
+10%since 2009
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 96.4%(13,019)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 92.4%(9,898)
Hispanic / Latino 1.5%(157)
from 11 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 15 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 Ancestry
+ 11 more ancestry groups with data from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 62.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 18.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 75.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 14.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 53.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 60.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 24.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 64.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 82.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 84.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 98.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 29.3%(1,251)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 35.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 26.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 27.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 5.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 50.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 49.2% 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) 15.3%(114)
Gulf War (1990s) 17.1%(127)
Share of the 744 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Ripley County Head to head
Compare Ripley County to nearby counties RIPLEY COUNTY VS
Carter County
Income $50,000 +19%
Home value $159,400 +33%
Population 5,418 −49%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RIPLEY COUNTY VS
Randolph County
Income $50,911 +21%
Home value $130,600 +9%
Population 18,876 +76%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RIPLEY COUNTY VS
Butler County
Income $49,089 +17%
Home value $145,100 +21%
Population 41,904 +291%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RIPLEY COUNTY VS
Oregon County
Income $43,069 +2%
Home value $113,300 −5%
Population 8,709 −19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Ripley County, Missouri? Ripley County, Missouri has about 10,708 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Ripley County, Missouri? The typical household in Ripley County, Missouri earns about $42,037 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Ripley County, Missouri expensive? In Ripley County, Missouri, the median home is worth about $119,600, and the typical rent is about $654 a month.
How educated are people in Ripley County, Missouri? About 12.6% of adults age 25 and over in Ripley County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Ripley County, Missouri? About 24.8% of people in Ripley County, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.
Has Ripley County, Missouri grown since 1990? Yes, Ripley County, Missouri has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,595 residents, a change of about -13 percent over that period.
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