Ray County, MO

County

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2024 Population
23,145
US Senator
Josh Hawley
Republican Party
US Senator
Eric Schmitt
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
41.9
0.711% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
12.6%
4.49% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$74,573
3.36% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$198,800
6.08% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
10,844
1.11% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Ray 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 Ray County, MO are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Ray County, MO was $198,800, and the homeownership rate was 77.3%.

Most people in Ray County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 34.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Ray County, MO was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMissouriKansas City, MO-KS

Population & Diversity

Ray County, MO is home to a population of 23.1k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.41% of Ray County, MO residents were born outside of the country (326 people).

In 2024, there were 36.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (21.3k people) in Ray County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 586 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 232 American Indian & Alaska Native (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 Ray County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ray County, MO was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ray County, MO
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    21.3k ± 109
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    586 ± 102
  3. American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic)
    232 ± 110
2.88%
Hispanic Population
667 people

In 2024, there were 36.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (21.3k people) in Ray County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 586 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 232 American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

2.88% of the people in Ray County, MO are hispanic (667 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Missouri.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    41,951 ± 5,011 people
  2. India
    23,410 ± 3,749 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

1.41%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
326 people
1.31%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
303 people

As of 2024, 1.41% of Ray County, MO residents (326 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 Ray County, MO was 1.31%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    406 ± 114
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    260 ± 86
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    257 ± 81

Ray County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.56 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Ray County, MO employs 10.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ray County, MO were Manufacturing (1,759 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,507 people), and Retail Trade (1,482 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($70,391), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,571), and Utilities ($68,571).

Employment

Occupations

10.8k
2024 Value
± 654
−1.11%
1 Year decline
± 8.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ray County, MO declined at a rate of −1.11%, from 11k employees to 10.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ray County, MO, are Production Occupations (1,342 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,206 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,147 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ray County, MO.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

10.8k
2024 Value
± 654
−1.11%
1 Year decline
± 8.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ray County, MO declined at a rate of −1.11%, from 11k employees to 10.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ray County, MO, are Manufacturing (1,759 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,507 people), and Retail Trade (1,482 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ray County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Ray County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$55,722
Median earning men ± $4,219
$39,522
Median earning women ± $2,208

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,695), Wholesale Trade ($71,250), and Manufacturing ($70,327).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,875), Construction ($58,125), and Public Administration ($55,362).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 49
    Construction
  2. 42
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 21
    Retail Trade

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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $20.5k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $16.6k
    Retail Trade
  3. $11.8k
    Construction

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

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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

Voting results are not available for Ray County, MO. Showing the available data for Missouri.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (58.5%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (40.1%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.
Josh Hawley
Senator from Missouri1
Assumed office on January 3, 2019
Eric Schmitt
Senator from Missouri3
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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Ray County, MO was $198,800 in 2024, which is 0.598 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $187,400 to $198,800, a 6.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Ray County, MO is 77.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ray County, MO have an average commute time of 34.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ray County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.82% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ray County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.68%.

Housing

Property

$198,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,993
$7,043
Median Property Taxes
±$485

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 Ray 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 Ray County, MO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

77.3%
Homeownership
2024
66.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 77.3% of the housing units in Ray County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 77.5%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$74,573
Median Household Income
± $5,326
9.12k
Number of Households
± 575

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.12k households in Ray County, MO grew to $74,573 from the previous year's value of $72,152.

The following chart displays the households in Ray 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ray 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (76.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (10.6%)
  3. Carpooled (9.73%)

In 2024, 76.8% of workers in Ray County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.6%) and those who carpooled to work (9.73%).

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.

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Commute Time

34.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ray County, MO have a longer commute time (34.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.76% of the workforce in Ray County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.82% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ray County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.68%.

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

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Poverty & Diversity

12.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ray County, MO (2.88k out of 22.9k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ray 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.

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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 12.8% of the children was living in poverty in Ray County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.1%.

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

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 468 in Ray County, MO. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 281 per 100,000 population.

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

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Health

90.9% of the population of Ray County, MO has health coverage, with 48.8% on employee plans, 11% on Medicaid, 15% on Medicare, 14.6% on non-group plans, and 1.57% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ray County, MO see 4,602 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (4,602 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 7702 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2576 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.9% were men and 49.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,602 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ray County, MO

Primary care physicians in Ray County, MO see an average of 4,602 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (4,602 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 17.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.9% were men and 49.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

9.1%
Uninsured
48.8%
Employer Coverage
11%
Medicaid
15%
Medicare
14.6%
Non-Group
1.57%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ray County, MO declined by 6.24% from 9.7% to 9.1%.

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

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 53.1 in Ray County, MO.

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

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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 40.4% in Ray County, MO.

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

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 12% in Ray County, MO.

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

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