Who Lives in Missouri? Demographics of the Show-Me State

Missouri's 6.2 million residents (2023) reflect the Midwest's demographic center—majority white, significant Black population, growing diversity.

Racial/Ethnic Breakdown (2022 ACS)

• White alone: 76.5% (non-Hispanic: 75.2%)
• Black alone: 11.5%
• Hispanic/Latino: 4.7% (fastest growing)
• Multiracial: 3.8%
• Asian: 2.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.1%

Ancestry (Top Self-Reported)

• German: ~23%
• Irish: ~14%
• English: ~10%
• American: ~8%
• French: ~3%

Urban vs. Rural

St. Louis and Kansas City metros: diverse, Black populations concentrated. Rural counties: >90% white. Bootheel (SE): higher Black %. Southwest: growing Latino (poultry/processing).

Age & Religion

• Median age: 38.8
• Christian: ~77% (Evangelical Protestant ~36%, Mainline ~16%, Catholic ~16%)
• Unaffiliated: ~20%

Not a Monolith

Bosnian refugees (St. Louis, ~70K), Somali/Karen/Burmese (Kansas City), Amish (Clark/James counties), university towns (Columbia, Rolla) add layers. "Missourian" contains multitudes.