Cole County, MO

County

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2024 Population

77,032

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.9

0.504% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.05%

3.05% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$74,876

2.19% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$229,600

7.09% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

38,011

1.65% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Cole County, MO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.6% of the residents in Cole County, MO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cole County, MO are Lincoln University (177940) (258 degrees awarded in 2023) and Missouri College of Cosmetology and Esthetics (61 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Cole County, MO was $229,600, and the homeownership rate was 67.9%.

Most people in Cole County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Cole County, MO was 2 cars per household.

Cole County, MO borders Boone County, MO, Callaway County, MO, Miller County, MO, Moniteau County, MO, and Osage County, MO.

United States Missouri Jefferson City, MO

Population & Diversity

Cole County, MO is home to a population of 77k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.83% of Cole County, MO residents were born outside of the country (2.18k people).

In 2024, there were 8.16 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (61k people) in Cole County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.48k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.19k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.6% of Cole County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cole County, MO was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cole County, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cole County, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
61k ± 405
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.48k ± 530
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.19k ± 553

3.64%

Hispanic Population

2.81k people

3.64% of the people in Cole County, MO are hispanic (2.81k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cole County, MO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
41,951 ± 5,011 people
India
23,410 ± 3,749 people
China
17,257 ± 3,221 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 41,951 Missouri residents, followed by India with 23,410 and China with 17,257.

Foreign-Born Population

2.83%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.18k people

2.85%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.19k people

As of 2024, 2.83% of Cole County, MO residents (2.18k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cole County, MO was 2.85%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cole County, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,846 ± 282
Gulf War (2001-)
1,214 ± 245
Gulf War (1990s)
439 ± 132

Cole County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.52 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cole County, MO.

Economy

The economy of Cole County, MO employs 38k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cole County, MO were Public Administration (5,886 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,021 people), and Retail Trade (4,178 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($91,364), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($78,365), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($62,857).

Employment

Occupations

38k

2024 Value

± 1,434

1.65%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cole County, MO grew at a rate of 1.65%, from 37.4k employees to 38k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cole County, MO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,778 people), Management Occupations (4,419 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (3,589 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cole County, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

38k

2024 Value

± 1,434

1.65%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cole County, MO grew at a rate of 1.65%, from 37.4k employees to 38k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cole County, MO, are Public Administration (5,886 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,021 people), and Retail Trade (4,178 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cole County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Cole County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,793

Median earning men ± $2,224

$41,109

Median earning women ± $1,256

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,735), Construction ($62,081), and Public Administration ($59,680).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($52,905), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($51,015), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,875).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

Y-Axis

2.17%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.94M people employed in Missouri. This represents a 2.17% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Missouri.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

155
Other Services (except Public Administration)
146
Construction
140
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$358k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$172k
Finance and Insurance
$171k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing the state of Missouri. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Missouri is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Cole County, MO. Showing the available data for Missouri.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (40.1%)
Democratic Party
Chase Oliver (0.797%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Missouri for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

Josh Hawley

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Eric Schmitt

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing Missouri.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Missouri over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cole County, MO awarded 319 degrees. The student population of Cole County, MO in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 744 male students and 1,143 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cole County, MO are White (145 and 48.2%), Black or African American (119 and 39.5%), Unknown (13 and 4.32%), and Two or More Races (9 and 2.99%).

The largest universities in Cole County, MO by number of degrees awarded are Lincoln University (177940) (258 and 80.9%) and Missouri College of Cosmetology and Esthetics (61 and 19.1%).

The most popular majors in Cole County, MO are General Business Administration & Management (36 and 11.3%), Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (33 and 10.3%), and Registered Nursing (30 and 9.4%).

The median tuition cost in Cole County, MO for a public four year colleges is $7,370 for in-state students and $14,962 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,887 students enrolled in Cole County, MO, 39.4% men and 60.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 792 records, of which 67.2% were women and 32.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
22 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
30 degrees awarded
General Food, Nutrition, & Wellness Studies
22 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cole County, MO was Registered Nursing with 22 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Cole County, MO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Lincoln University (177940)
258 degrees awarded
Missouri College of Cosmetology and Esthetics
61 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lincoln University (177940) with 258 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 104 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cole County, MO, which is 0.484 times less than the 215 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 145 degrees mean that there were 1.22 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 119 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($7,370) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,920) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cole County, MO was $229,600 in 2024, which is 0.69 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $214,400 to $229,600, a 7.09% increase. The homeownership rate in Cole County, MO is 67.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cole County, MO have an average commute time of 17.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cole County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 7.58% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cole County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.916%.

Housing

Property

$229,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,798

$21,098

Median Property Taxes

±$1,005

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cole County, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cole County, MO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.9%

Homeownership

2024

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.9% of the housing units in Cole County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cole County, MO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$74,876

Median Household Income

± $3,475

31.1k

Number of Households

± 1,323

In 2024, the median household income of the 31.1k households in Cole County, MO grew to $74,876 from the previous year's value of $73,273.

The following chart displays the households in Cole County, MO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cole County, MO is from Missouri.

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.455

2022 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2023, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.848% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Missouri across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78%)
Worked At Home (9.22%)
Carpooled (8.69%)

In 2024, 78% of workers in Cole County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.22%) and those who carpooled to work (8.69%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

17.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cole County, MO have a shorter commute time (17.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.16% of the workforce in Cole County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cole County, MO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cole County, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cole County, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 7.58% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cole County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.916%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

9.05% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cole County, MO (6.6k out of 73k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cole County, MO is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 11.3% of the children was living in poverty in Cole County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 257 in Cole County, MO. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 129 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.2% of the population of Cole County, MO has health coverage, with 55.8% on employee plans, 9.99% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 2.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cole County, MO see 1,430 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,430 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1509 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 396 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,430 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cole County, MO

Primary care physicians in Cole County, MO see an average of 1,430 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,430 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cole County, MO in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.6% under 18 years, 20.1% between 18 and 34 years, 37.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.79%

Uninsured

55.8%

Employer Coverage

9.99%

Medicaid

13.8%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

2.16%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cole County, MO declined by 13% from 6.65% to 5.79%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cole County, MO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 52.8 in Cole County, MO.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cole County, MO.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 36.7% in Cole County, MO.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cole County, MO.