Howell County, MO

County

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2024 Population

40,383

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.3

0.499% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

20.3%

5.05% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$50,993

2.37% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$173,000

7.45% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

16,824

3.23% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Howell 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.

99.4% of the residents in Howell County, MO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Howell County, MO are Missouri State University-West Plains (285 degrees awarded in 2023) and Southern Missouri Technical Institute (46 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Howell County, MO was $173,000, and the homeownership rate was 70.3%.

Most people in Howell County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Howell County, MO was 2 cars per household.

Howell County, MO borders Fulton County, AR, Douglas County, MO, Oregon County, MO, Ozark County, MO, Shannon County, MO, and Texas County, MO.

United States Missouri West Plains, MO

Population & Diversity

Howell County, MO is home to a population of 40.4k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.23% of Howell County, MO residents were born outside of the country (498 people).

In 2024, there were 32.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.9k people) in Howell County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.14k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 532 Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Howell County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Howell County, MO was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Howell County, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
36.9k ± 421
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.14k ± 84
Other (Non-Hispanic)
532 ± 374

2.58%

Hispanic Population

1.04k people

2.58% of the people in Howell County, MO are hispanic (1.04k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Howell 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

1.23%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

498 people

1.28%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

516 people

As of 2024, 1.23% of Howell County, MO residents (498 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 Howell County, MO was 1.28%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
856 ± 160
Gulf War (2001-)
674 ± 252
Gulf War (1990s)
539 ± 200

Howell County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.27 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Howell County, MO employs 16.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Howell County, MO were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,064 people), Educational Services (2,198 people), and Retail Trade (1,905 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($51,081), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($50,946), and Transportation & Warehousing ($49,679).

Employment

Occupations

16.8k

2024 Value

± 1,018

3.23%

1 Year growth

± 8.29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Howell County, MO grew at a rate of 3.23%, from 16.3k employees to 16.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Howell County, MO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,924 people), Management Occupations (1,695 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,589 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Howell 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

16.8k

2024 Value

± 1,018

3.23%

1 Year growth

± 8.29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Howell County, MO grew at a rate of 3.23%, from 16.3k employees to 16.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Howell County, MO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,064 people), Educational Services (2,198 people), and Retail Trade (1,905 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Howell County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Howell County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,161

Median earning men ± $2,677

$30,755

Median earning women ± $2,176

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($60,417), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($52,061), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($49,457).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($49,196), Public Administration ($44,612), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($38,113).

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

95
Other Services (except Public Administration)
91
Retail Trade
88
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$250k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$105k
Manufacturing
$63.3k
Retail Trade

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 Howell 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 Howell County, MO awarded 331 degrees. The student population of Howell County, MO in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 605 male students and 1,179 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Howell County, MO are White (296 and 91.9%), Two or More Races (12 and 3.73%), Hispanic or Latino (7 and 2.17%), and Unknown (4 and 1.24%).

The largest universities in Howell County, MO by number of degrees awarded are Missouri State University-West Plains (285 and 86.1%) and Southern Missouri Technical Institute (46 and 13.9%).

The most popular majors in Howell County, MO are General Studies (102 and 30.8%), Registered Nursing (58 and 17.5%), and Other Teacher Education & Professional Development (27 and 8.16%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,784 students enrolled in Howell County, MO, 33.9% men and 66.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,558 records, of which 66.9% were women and 33.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
102 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
58 degrees awarded
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development
27 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Howell County, MO was General Studies with 102 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Missouri State University-West Plains
285 degrees awarded
Southern Missouri Technical Institute
46 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Missouri State University-West Plains with 285 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 80 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Howell County, MO, which is 0.319 times less than the 251 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 296 degrees mean that there were 24.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Two or More Races, with 12 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, 2-year ($4,592) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($952) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($948) 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 Howell County, MO was $173,000 in 2024, which is 0.52 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $161,000 to $173,000, a 7.45% increase. The homeownership rate in Howell County, MO is 70.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Howell County, MO have an average commute time of 23.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Howell County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Howell County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 3.07%.

Housing

Property

$173,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,304

$11,223

Median Property Taxes

±$713

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 Howell County, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

70.3%

Homeownership

2024

68.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.3% of the housing units in Howell County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Howell 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.

$50,993

Median Household Income

± $2,030

16k

Number of Households

± 941

In 2024, the median household income of the 16k households in Howell County, MO grew to $50,993 from the previous year's value of $49,814.

The following chart displays the households in Howell 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Howell 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 (77.6%)
Carpooled (14.1%)
Worked At Home (5.99%)

In 2024, 77.6% of workers in Howell County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.1%) and those who worked at home (5.99%).

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

23.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Howell County, MO have a shorter commute time (23.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.29% of the workforce in Howell County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Howell 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 Howell County, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Howell County, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Howell County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 3.07%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

20.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Howell County, MO (8.04k out of 39.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 55 - 64.

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

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, 20.3% of the children was living in poverty in Howell County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 11.3%.

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 263 in Howell County, MO. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 39.5 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

88.3% of the population of Howell County, MO has health coverage, with 32% on employee plans, 23.9% on Medicaid, 15.3% on Medicare, 15.1% on non-group plans, and 2.01% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Howell County, MO see 1,142 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,142 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2539 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 384 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,142 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Howell County, MO

Primary care physicians in Howell County, MO see an average of 1,142 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,142 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26% under 18 years, 17.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.7%

Uninsured

32%

Employer Coverage

23.9%

Medicaid

15.3%

Medicare

15.1%

Non-Group

2.01%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Howell County, MO declined by 17.5% from 14.2% to 11.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Howell 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 94.9 in Howell County, MO.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Howell 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 40.5% in Howell County, MO.

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