Carter County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Carter County is located in Missouri with a total population of 5,269. It is the 107th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Carter County is 39.6 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Carter County is $45,083. This is 35% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 43% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 19.1%. This is 52% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $147,600. Housing costs are 32% lower than the state median of $215,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 64.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% lower than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Carter County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.1%. The Black or African American population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 5.1%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

13.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 58% 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 85.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Carter 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.