Laclede County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Laclede County is located in Missouri with a total population of 36,245. It is the 33rd most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Laclede 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 Laclede County is $50,825. 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 18.6%. This is 47% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%. This is 33% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $158,000. Housing costs are 27% lower than the state median of $215,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 70.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 67.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Laclede County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.8% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.9%. The Black or African American population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% 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 85.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Laclede 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.