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 2023, at 1,771.6 inhabitants per km². Worth County had the lowest, at 2.8 inhabitants per km². The median was 11.8 inhabitants per km² and the figure for Missouri was 34.9 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest1,771.6St. Louis city
Lowest2.8Worth County
Median11.8115 counties
Missouri34.9History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

St. Louis citySt. Louis city: 1,771.6 inhabitants per km²1,771.6St. Louis CountySt. Louis County: 751.6 inhabitants per km²751.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 460.4 inhabitants per km²460.4St. Charles CountySt. Charles County: 287.7 inhabitants per km²287.7Clay CountyClay County: 252.4 inhabitants per km²252.4Greene CountyGreene County: 174.3 inhabitants per km²174.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 136.1 inhabitants per km²136.1Boone CountyBoone County: 106.7 inhabitants per km²106.7Platte CountyPlatte County: 102.9 inhabitants per km²102.9Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 78.7 inhabitants per km²78.7Cole CountyCole County: 76.2 inhabitants per km²76.2Jasper CountyJasper County: 75.7 inhabitants per km²75.7Christian CountyChristian County: 64.9 inhabitants per km²64.9Cass CountyCass County: 61.9 inhabitants per km²61.9St. Francois CountySt. Francois County: 57.3 inhabitants per km²57.3Cape Girardeau CountyCape Girardeau County: 55.4 inhabitants per km²55.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 44.6 inhabitants per km²44.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 39.8 inhabitants per km²39.8Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 37.9 inhabitants per km²37.9Newton CountyNewton County: 37.5 inhabitants per km²37.5Scott CountyScott County: 34.8 inhabitants per km²34.8Taney CountyTaney County: 34.7 inhabitants per km²34.7Warren CountyWarren County: 34.1 inhabitants per km²34.1Stone CountyStone County: 27.2 inhabitants per km²27.2Webster CountyWebster County: 27 inhabitants per km²27Phelps CountyPhelps County: 26 inhabitants per km²26Camden CountyCamden County: 26 inhabitants per km²26Johnson CountyJohnson County: 25.6 inhabitants per km²25.6Marion CountyMarion County: 25 inhabitants per km²25Pettis CountyPettis County: 24.7 inhabitants per km²24.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 24.6 inhabitants per km²24.6Butler CountyButler County: 23.3 inhabitants per km²23.3Callaway CountyCallaway County: 20.7 inhabitants per km²20.7Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 20.4 inhabitants per km²20.4Polk CountyPolk County: 20 inhabitants per km²20Clinton CountyClinton County: 19.8 inhabitants per km²19.8Dunklin CountyDunklin County: 19.3 inhabitants per km²19.3Randolph CountyRandolph County: 19.3 inhabitants per km²19.3Laclede CountyLaclede County: 18.5 inhabitants per km²18.5Barry CountyBarry County: 17.6 inhabitants per km²17.6
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2022
1St. Louis city1,771.6-1.2%
2St. Louis County751.6-0.2%
3Jackson County460.4+0.6%
4St. Charles County287.7+0.8%
5Clay County252.4+1.1%
6Greene County174.3+0.5%
7Jefferson County136.1+0.8%
8Boone County106.7+1.1%
9Platte County102.9+1.2%
10Buchanan County78.7+0.3%
11Cole County76.2+0.4%
12Jasper County75.7+0.9%
13Christian County64.9+1.4%
14Cass County61.9+1.2%
15St. Francois County57.3+0.2%
16Cape Girardeau County55.4+0.1%
17Franklin County44.6+0.6%
18Lincoln County39.8+2.4%
19Pulaski County37.9-0.1%
20Newton County37.5+1.1%
21Scott County34.8+0.1%
22Taney County34.7+0.1%
23Warren County34.1+1.4%
24Stone County27.2+1.6%
25Webster County27+2.7%
26Phelps County26+0.2%
27Camden County26+0.7%
28Johnson County25.6+1.2%
29Marion County25-0.7%
30Pettis County24.7+0.5%
31Lawrence County24.6+0.6%
32Butler County23.3-0.5%
33Callaway County20.7+0.1%
34Lafayette County20.4+0.8%
35Polk County20+0.8%
36Clinton County19.8+0.9%
37Dunklin County19.3-1.4%
38Randolph County19.3-2%
39Laclede County18.5+0.9%
40Barry County17.6+1.2%
41McDonald County17.2+1.6%
42Adair County17.1+0.2%
43Howell County17+0.3%
44Miller County16.7+0.7%
45Andrew County16.2+0.6%
46Ray County15.7+0.3%
47Perry County15.4+0.3%
48Ste. Genevieve County14.4+0.3%
49Morgan County14.2+0.9%
50Moniteau County14.2+0.1%
51Audrain County13.6-0.2%
52Stoddard County13.3-0.1%
53Dallas County12.7+0.9%
54Henry County12.4+0.3%
55Washington County12+0.8%
56Cedar County11.9+0.5%
57Saline County11.8+0.7%
58Crawford County11.8+0.5%
59Cooper County11.6+1.3%
60Pemiscot County11.5-1.4%
61Benton County11.3+1.6%
62Mississippi County11.1+1.2%
63Wright County11+1.6%
64Gasconade County11-0.5%
65Livingston County10.6+0.8%
66Pike County10.3+1.5%
67Madison County9.9-0.2%
68Vernon County9.2+0.8%
69Nodaway County9.1-0.1%
70DeKalb County9.1-12.4%
71New Madrid County8.8-1.8%
72Grundy County8.7-0.1%
73Ralls County8.6+0.6%
74Osage County8.6+0.6%
75Hickory County8.5+2.1%
76Howard County8.4-0.5%
77Texas County8.4+1.3%
78Montgomery County8.3-0.1%
79Caldwell County8.1+0.2%
80Barton County7.7+0.5%
81Lewis County7.5-0.6%
82Dent County7.5+1.2%
83Bates County7.5+0.7%
84Linn County7.4-0.4%
85Macon County7.3+0.7%
86Iron County6.6+0.5%
87Ripley County6.6+1.1%
88Bollinger County6.6+0.2%
89Maries County6.2+0.1%
90Dade County6.1+0.5%
91Daviess County5.9+1%
92Douglas County5.8+2.3%
93St. Clair County5.6+1.7%
94Wayne County5.5+0.3%
95Monroe County5.2+0.9%
96Schuyler County5.1+1.2%
97Clark County5.1-1.3%
98Gentry County5+0.3%
99Ozark County4.7+0.2%
100Carroll County4.6-0.5%
101Shelby County4.6-0.9%
102Harrison County4.4+0.2%
103Oregon County4.3+0.2%
104Scotland County4.1+0.9%
105Carter County4.1+1.2%
106Chariton County3.8+0.2%
107Atchison County3.6-0.7%
108Holt County3.6+0.2%
109Sullivan County3.5+0.3%
110Putnam County3.5-0.1%
111Mercer County3+0.5%
112Knox County2.9-1.2%
113Reynolds County2.8-0.4%
114Shannon County2.8+0.4%
115Worth County2.8-1.1%

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 1,771.6 inhabitants per km² in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Worth County, with 2.8 inhabitants per km² in 2023.

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