Iron County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Iron County is located in Missouri with a total population of 9,482. It is the 88th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Iron County is 45.3 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Iron County is $51,161. This is 26% lower than the state median of $68,920. It is also 35% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 20.7%. This is 64% 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 3.3%. This is 20% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $113,000. Housing costs are 48% lower than the state median of $215,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Iron County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Iron County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 92.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.1%. The Black or African American population (0.8%) 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 (0.3%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

18.3% 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 85.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Iron 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.