DeKalb County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

DeKalb County is located in Missouri with a total population of 11,176. It is the 80th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in DeKalb County is 42.3 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in DeKalb County is $69,093. This is about the same as the state median of $68,920. It is also 12% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 8.6%. This is 31% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 2.3%. This is 44% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $167,500. Housing costs are 22% lower than the state median of $215,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.4x, DeKalb County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 72.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

DeKalb County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 87.0% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 6.6%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 5.1%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

14.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 54% 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 88.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for DeKalb 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.