Barton County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Barton County is located in Missouri with a total population of 11,685. It is the 78th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 9 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Barton County is 40.6 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Barton County is $49,503. This is 28% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 37% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 22.2%. This is 76% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 4.1%. This is 1% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $136,000. Housing costs are 37% lower than the state median of $215,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Barton County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Barton County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.9% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.8%. The Black or African American population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

18.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 44% lower than the state rate of 31.9%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Barton County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Missouri and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.