Crystal Lakes, Missouri Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 436, Crystal Lakes's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Crystal Lakes is a small community located in Missouri, within Ray County. The total population is 436. It ranks as the 550th most populous out of 1,062 Census-designated places in Missouri.

Age Demographics

The median age in Crystal Lakes is 33.9 years. This is 13% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Crystal Lakes is $69,107. This is 2% lower than the state median of $70,702. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 23.4%. This is 86% 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 2.7%. This is 33% lower than the state rate of 4.0%. The median home value is $152,300. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $230,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Crystal Lakes is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 93.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 37% higher than the state average of 68.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Crystal Lakes is White (non-Hispanic), making up 82.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.3%. The Black or African American population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 10.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

14.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 57% lower than the state rate of 32.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Crystal Lakes, Missouri is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Missouri state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,062 Census-designated places in Missouri. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.