Dent County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Dent County is located in Missouri with a total population of 14,506. It is the 70th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Dent County is 43.8 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Dent County is $54,306. This is 21% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 31% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 14.3%. This is 13% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $149,700. Housing costs are 31% lower than the state median of $215,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Dent County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Dent County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.7% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.1%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) 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 (0.9%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

18.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 43% 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 85.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Dent 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.