St. Louis, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

St. Louis is located in Missouri with a total population of 288,512. It is the 5th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri.

Age Demographics

The median age in St. Louis is 36.8 years. This is 6% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in St. Louis is $56,160. This is 21% lower than the state median of $70,702. It is also 30% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 20.6%. 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 5.1%. This is 26% higher than the state rate of 4.0%. The median home value is $197,500. Housing costs are 14% lower than the state median of $230,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.5x. 45.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 34% lower than the state average of 68.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

St. Louis is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Black or African American residents account for 42.1%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (42.1% vs 10.9%). The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (3.5% vs 2.1%).

Education

41.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places St. Louis in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 27% higher 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 90.8%. Notably, 18.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for St. Louis come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, 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.