Data / Rankings / Population density / Counties in Missouri

Counties in Missouri by population density

St. Louis city had the highest population density of 115 counties in 2021, at 1,836.5 inhabitants per km². Shannon County had the lowest, at 2.7 inhabitants per km². The median was 11.9 inhabitants per km² and the figure for Missouri was 34.7 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest1,836.5St. Louis city
Lowest2.7Shannon County
Median11.9115 counties
Missouri34.7History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 1,836.5 inhabitants per km²1,836.5St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 758.4 inhabitants per km²758.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 458.5 inhabitants per km²458.5St. Charles CountySt. Charles County: 282.9 inhabitants per km²282.9Clay CountyClay County: 248.5 inhabitants per km²248.5Greene CountyGreene County: 172.2 inhabitants per km²172.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 134.2 inhabitants per km²134.2Boone CountyBoone County: 104.8 inhabitants per km²104.8Platte CountyPlatte County: 100 inhabitants per km²100Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 79.1 inhabitants per km²79.1Cole CountyCole County: 75.5 inhabitants per km²75.5Jasper CountyJasper County: 74.6 inhabitants per km²74.6Christian CountyChristian County: 62.9 inhabitants per km²62.9Cass CountyCass County: 60.9 inhabitants per km²60.9St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 57.3 inhabitants per km²57.3Cape Girardeau CountyCape Girardeau County: 54.8 inhabitants per km²54.8Franklin CountyFranklin County: 44.1 inhabitants per km²44.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 38 inhabitants per km²38Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 38 inhabitants per km²38Newton CountyNewton County: 36.7 inhabitants per km²36.7Scott CountyScott County: 34.8 inhabitants per km²34.8Taney CountyTaney County: 34.4 inhabitants per km²34.4Warren CountyWarren County: 33 inhabitants per km²33Stone CountyStone County: 26.3 inhabitants per km²26.3Webster CountyWebster County: 25.8 inhabitants per km²25.8Phelps CountyPhelps County: 25.8 inhabitants per km²25.8Camden CountyCamden County: 25.6 inhabitants per km²25.6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 25.2 inhabitants per km²25.2Marion CountyMarion County: 25.2 inhabitants per km²25.2Pettis CountyPettis County: 24.5 inhabitants per km²24.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 24.2 inhabitants per km²24.2Butler CountyButler County: 23.4 inhabitants per km²23.4Callaway CountyCallaway County: 20.7 inhabitants per km²20.7Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 20.2 inhabitants per km²20.2Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 19.8 inhabitants per km²19.8Randolph CountyRandolph County: 19.7 inhabitants per km²19.7Clinton CountyClinton County: 19.6 inhabitants per km²19.6Polk CountyPolk County: 19.5 inhabitants per km²19.5Laclede CountyLaclede County: 18.3 inhabitants per km²18.3Barry CountyBarry County: 17.3 inhabitants per km²17.3
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2020
1St. Louis city1,836.5-2.2%
2St. Louis County758.4-0.4%
3Jackson County458.5+0.1%
4St. Charles County282.9+1%
5Clay County248.5+0.7%
6Greene County172.2+0.6%
7Jefferson County134.2+0.5%
8Boone County104.8+1.1%
9Platte County100+1.5%
10Buchanan County79.1-1%
11Cole County75.50%
12Jasper County74.6+0.3%
13Christian County62.9+2.7%
14Cass County60.9+1.5%
15St. Francois County57.3+0.9%
16Cape Girardeau County54.8+0.4%
17Franklin County44.1+0.4%
18Lincoln County38+3%
19Pulaski County38-0.3%
20Newton County36.7+1.3%
21Scott County34.8-0.3%
22Taney County34.4+0.5%
23Warren County33+2.3%
24Stone County26.3+1.3%
25Webster County25.8+1.5%
26Phelps County25.8+0.8%
27Camden County25.6+1.7%
28Johnson County25.2+0.3%
29Marion County25.2+0.3%
30Pettis County24.5+0.5%
31Lawrence County24.2+0.7%
32Butler County23.4+0.2%
33Callaway County20.7+0.7%
34Lafayette County20.2-0.6%
35Dunklin County19.8-1.6%
36Randolph County19.7+0.5%
37Clinton County19.60%
38Polk County19.5+1.4%
39Laclede County18.3+0.3%
40Barry County17.3+0.7%
41Adair County17.1-0.4%
42McDonald County16.8+0.7%
43Howell County16.7+0.6%
44Miller County16.3+0.7%
45Andrew County16.1-0.4%
46Ray County15.7-0.2%
47Perry County15.5+0.1%
48Ste. Genevieve County14.4+0.5%
49Moniteau County14.2+0.5%
50Audrain County13.9+0.3%
51Morgan County13.9+2.1%
52Stoddard County13.4-0.4%
53Dallas County12.4+1.3%
54Henry County12.3+1.1%
55Pemiscot County11.9-2.2%
56Saline County11.9-0.2%
57Washington County11.9-0.2%
58Crawford County11.9-0.9%
59Cedar County11.8+2.2%
60Cooper County11.4+0.2%
61Mississippi County11.4-0.3%
62Gasconade County11+0.1%
63Benton County10.9+2.7%
64DeKalb County10.7+0.8%
65Livingston County10.7+1.4%
66Wright County10.5+2.3%
67Pike County10.1+1.1%
68Madison County9.9+0.3%
69Nodaway County9.3-0%
70New Madrid County9.2-1.7%
71Vernon County9.1-0.4%
72Grundy County8.70%
73Osage County8.5+1.1%
74Ralls County8.5+0.1%
75Howard County8.4-0.1%
76Hickory County8.3+3.5%
77Montgomery County8.3+1.4%
78Texas County8.2+2.2%
79Caldwell County8.1+1%
80Lewis County7.6-0.4%
81Barton County7.6+0.4%
82Linn County7.4-0.1%
83Bates County7.4+0.3%
84Dent County7.4+0.5%
85Macon County7.3-0.1%
86Iron County6.6-0.8%
87Bollinger County6.6+0.2%
88Ripley County6.5-0.2%
89Maries County6.2-0.4%
90Dade County6+0.2%
91Daviess County5.8-0.3%
92Douglas County5.6+1.2%
93Wayne County5.6-0.1%
94St. Clair County5.4+0.7%
95Monroe County5.2+0.2%
96Clark County5.2+1.2%
97Schuyler County5+0.3%
98Gentry County4.9+0.9%
99Carroll County4.7-0.8%
100Shelby County4.6-2%
101Ozark County4.6+3.3%
102Harrison County4.4+0.3%
103Oregon County4.2+0.2%
104Scotland County4.1-0.7%
105Carter County4+2.3%
106Chariton County3.8-0.3%
107Atchison County3.7-1.7%
108Holt County3.5+1%
109Sullivan County3.5-1.4%
110Putnam County3.5+0.2%
111Mercer County3-1%
112Reynolds County2.9+0.1%
113Knox County2.9+1.2%
114Worth County2.9+0.3%
115Shannon County2.7+0.9%

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population divided by land area in km². World Bank figures use mid-year population and land area excluding inland water.

United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July divided by land area (water excluded) from the latest Census Gazetteer files. US tables often give people per square mile; multiply persons per km² by 2.59 to compare.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

St. Louis city, with 1,836.5 inhabitants per km² in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Shannon County, with 2.7 inhabitants per km² in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Population density: other rankings

Counties in Missouri: more rankings