County profile

Howell County

Missouri · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
40,383
Median household income
$50,993
People below poverty
20.3%
Median home value
$173,000

Income

The median income of households in Howell County, Missouri was $50,993. An estimated 6.4% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 3.5% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 6.4
$10,000 to $14,999 8.4
$15,000 to $24,999 9.7
$25,000 to $34,999 11.8
$35,000 to $49,999 12.2
$50,000 to $74,999 21.1
$75,000 to $99,999 11.9
$100,000 to $149,999 10.9
$150,000 to $199,999 4
$200,000 or more 3.5

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 48601
Female 37719

An estimated 69.2% of households received earnings. An estimated 40.8% of households received Social Security and an estimated 25.1 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $18,962. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 69.2
Social Security 40.8
Retirement income 25.1
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 7.6
Cash public assistance income 2.6

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 20.3 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 23.8% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 16.2% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 20.3% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 20.3
Children under 18 years below poverty 23.8
People 65 years old and over below poverty 16.2
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 20.3

In 2020-2024, 14 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 48.8% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 35.1% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 30.7% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024, 88.3% had health insurance coverage and 11.7% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 53.3% and public coverage was 49%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 6.5%.


In 2020-2024, Howell County, Missouri had a total population of 40,383 - 20,717 (51.3%) females and 19,666 (48.7%) males. The median age was 40.3 years. An estimated 24.1% of the population was under 18 years, 28.8% was 19 to 44 years, 25.1% was 45 to 64 years, and 19.9 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 1234 1205
5 to 9 1473 1289
10 to 14 1409 1403
15 to 19 1360 1251
20 to 24 1119 1149
25 to 29 1080 1108
30 to 34 1127 1319
35 to 39 1131 1419
40 to 44 1229 931
45 to 49 1156 1167
50 to 54 1238 1265
55 to 59 1340 1113
60 to 64 1179 1643
65 to 69 1192 1570
70 to 74 988 848
75 to 79 635 811
80 to 84 418 762
85 and over 358 464

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 92% were White; 0.5% were Black or African American; 19.7% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.5% were Asian; 0.3% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 5.1% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 2.6% of the people in Howell County, Missouri were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 91.5% of the people in Howell County, Missouri were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 15,965 households in Howell County, Missouri. The average household size was 2.48 people.

Married-couple households made up 48.4% of the households in Howell County, Missouri while cohabiting couple households made up 8.3% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.6% of all households, while 16.8% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 13.1% of households were male householders living alone, and 16.5% were female householders living alone, for a total of 29.6% of all households.

In Howell County, Missouri, 31.8% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 35.2% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 48.4
Cohabiting Couples 8.3
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
16.8
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.6

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 53.5% of males and 48.6% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 29.4 22.6
Now married, except separated 53.5 48.6
Separated 1.7 3.2
Widowed 3.7 11.5
Divorced 11.6 14.1

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Howell County, Missouri, 774 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 66.3% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 98.8% of the people living in Howell County, Missouri were U.S. natives. 59% of the Howell County, Missouri population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 1.2% of Howell County, Missouri residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 52.4% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 76.3 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Howell County, Missouri come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Howell County, Missouri.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 20.3
Asia 34.5
Europe 29.7
Africa 12
Northern America 3.4
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024, 3.1 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 1.3% of people at least five years old; 0.7% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 1.3
Other Indo-European languages 1.5
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.3
Other languages 0

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 89.2 % of the people at least one year old living in Howell County, Missouri were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 89.2
Different house, same county 6.6
Different county, same state 3.1
Different state 1.1
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 86.9 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 17.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 13% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Howell County, Missouri was 9,780 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 681 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 7,421. College or graduate school enrollment was 1,678.

Educational Attainment of People in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 13
High school diploma or equivalency 39.4
Some college, no degree 21.2
Associate's degree 8.6
Bachelor's degree 10.8
Graduate or professional degree 7

Disability

In Howell County, Missouri, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 19.6 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 5.4% of people under 18 years old, to 19.6% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 37.7% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Howell County, Missouri, 52.8 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 44.4% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 72.4% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 19% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 7.9 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 12,187 72.4
Federal, state, or local government workers 3,204 19
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 1,333 7.9

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Howell County, Missouri worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 2.4
Construction 4.9
Manufacturing 11
Wholesale trade 2.5
Retail trade 11.3
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 7.9
Information 0.9
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 3.2
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 6.8
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 31.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 8.2
Other Services, except public administration 6.4
Public administration 3.2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 5,811 34.5
Service occupations 2,553 15.2
Sales and office occupations 3,513 20.9
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 1,680 10
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 3,267 19.4

Commuting to Work

An estimated 77.6% of Howell County, Missouri workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 14.1% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 23.1 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 77.6
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 14.1
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.1
Walked 0.9
Other means 1.2
Worked from home 6

In 2020-2024, Howell County, Missouri had a total of 18,149 housing units. Of these housing units, 76.1% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 10.8% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 12% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 76.1
Apartments in multi-unit structures 10.8
Mobile homes 12
Boat, RV, van, etc 1

10% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 10.5% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Howell County, Missouri was 5.8 rooms, and of these housing units 66.3% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Howell County, Missouri had 15,965 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 2,184 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 70.3% while renters occupied 29.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.58 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.25.

4.8% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 8.2% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 6.1% and another 29.8% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Howell County, Missouri:

House Heating Fuel Used in Howell County, Missouri in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 41.5
Electricity 47
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.5
All other fuels 10.8
No fuel used 0.2

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Howell County, Missouri was $173,000.

Of the owner-occupied households, 46.2 % had a mortgage. 53.8% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,109 and for owners without a mortgage it was $394.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Howell County, Missouri was $733. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.