Wright County, Missouri Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Wright County is located in Missouri with a total population of 18,965. It is the 58th most populous county out of 115 in Missouri. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wright County is 41.1 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wright County is $47,909. This is 32% lower than the state median of $70,702. It is also 41% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.8%. This is 49% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 12% lower than the state rate of 4.0%. The median home value is $160,100. Housing costs are 30% lower than the state median of $230,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 77.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 68.1%.

Race & Ethnicity

Wright County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.7% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.6%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 10.9%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 2.1%.

Education

15.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% lower 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 84.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Wright County 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.