The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released the first substate findings for Missouri from the 2000 count. The state total resident population in Census 2000 was 5,595,211, ranking Missouri 17th among all U.S. states. St. Louis County remained the state's largest county, surpassing the million-population threshold.
Missouri's population grew by 478,138 persons since 1990 a growth rate of 9.3 percent. This growth was larger than in any other decade this past century. As in recent decades, there were substantial population gains in the Ozarks and in the state's metropolitan areas. But there also was new growth in many rural counties north and south. Regional population shifts show a continued expansion outward from older, larger urban centers. In fact, the population outside Missouri's combined municipal areas grew at a faster rate in the 1990s (12.1%) than the combined population within them (7.9%).
Among Missouri's counties, Christian County grew by the highest percentage rate (66.3%) and St. Charles County gained the most population (70,976) last decade. Worth County is Missouri's least populous county, with 2,382 citizens. Pemiscot County lost 1,874 citizens, the most of any county outside St. Louis City. Atchison County suffered through the fastest rate of decline, losing 13.8% of its residents.
(A large portion of this text taken from OA Press Release, 3/15/01)
| Ten Largest Counties | Ten Smallest Counties | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 1,016,315 | Worth | 2,382 |
| Jackson | 654,880 | Mercer | 3,757 |
| St. Louis City | 348,189 | Schuyler | 4,170 |
| St. Charles | 283,883 | Knox | 4,361 |
| Greene | 240,391 | Scotland | 4,983 |
| Jefferson | 198,099 | Putnam | 5,223 |
| Clay | 184,006 | Holt | 5,351 |
| Boone | 135,454 | Carter | 5,941 |
| Jasper | 104,686 | Atchison | 6,430 |
| Franklin | 93,807 | Reynolds | 6,689 |
| Largest Growth | Smallest Growth | ||
| St. Charles | 70,976 | St. Louis City | -48,496 |
| Greene | 32,442 | Pemiscot | -1,874 |
| Clay | 30,595 | New Madrid | -1,168 |
| Jefferson | 26,719 | Atchison | -1,027 |
| Boone | 23,075 | Mississippi | -1,015 |
| St. Louis | 22,786 | Chariton | -764 |
| Jackson | 21,648 | Holt | -683 |
| Christian | 21,641 | Carroll | -463 |
| Cass | 18,284 | Shelby | -143 |
| Platte | 15,914 | Pulaski | -142 |
| Fastest Growth | Slowest Growth | ||
| Christian | 66.3% | Atchison | -13.8% |
| Taney | 55.3% | St. Louis City | -12.2% |
| Stone | 50.2% | Holt | -11.3% |
| Lincoln | 34.8% | Pemiscot | -8.5% |
| Camden | 34.8% | Chariton | -8.3% |
| St. Charles | 33.3% | Mississippi | -7.0% |
| Webster | 30.7% | New Madrid | -5.6% |
| Cass | 28.7% | Carroll | -4.3% |
| McDonald | 28.0% | Knox | -2.7% |
| Platte | 27.5% | Worth | -2.4% |
| 1990-2000 Change | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 2000 | 1990 | Total | Rank | Percent | Rank |
| Missouri | 5,595,211 | 5,117,073 | 478,138 | - | 9.3% | - |
| Adair | 24,977 | 24,577 | 400 | 84 | 1.6% | 90 |
| Andrew | 16,492 | 14,632 | 1,860 | 46 | 12.7% | 45 |
| Atchison | 6,430 | 7,457 | -1,027 | 112 | -13.8% | 115 |
| Audrain | 25,853 | 23,599 | 2,254 | 43 | 9.6% | 58 |
| Barry | 34,010 | 27,547 | 6,463 | 23 | 23.5% | 17 |
| Barton | 12,541 | 11,312 | 1,229 | 61 | 10.9% | 53 |
| Bates | 16,653 | 15,025 | 1,628 | 53 | 10.8% | 54 |
| Benton | 17,180 | 13,859 | 3,321 | 35 | 24.0% | 14 |
| Bollinger | 12,029 | 10,619 | 1,410 | 58 | 13.3% | 43 |
| Boone | 135,454 | 112,379 | 23,075 | 5 | 20.5% | 20 |
| Buchanan | 85,998 | 83,083 | 2,915 | 38 | 3.5% | 78 |
| Butler | 40,867 | 38,765 | 2,102 | 44 | 5.4% | 76 |
| Caldwell | 8,969 | 8,380 | 589 | 79 | 7.0% | 69 |
| Callaway | 40,766 | 32,809 | 7,957 | 18 | 24.3% | 12 |
| Camden | 37,051 | 27,495 | 9,556 | 16 | 34.8% | 5 |
| Cape Girardeau | 68,693 | 61,633 | 7,060 | 21 | 11.5% | 49 |
| Carroll | 10,285 | 10,748 | -463 | 108 | -4.3% | 108 |
| Carter | 5,941 | 5,515 | 426 | 82 | 7.7% | 65 |
| Cass | 82,092 | 63,808 | 18,284 | 9 | 28.7% | 8 |
| Cedar | 13,733 | 12,093 | 1,640 | 51 | 13.6% | 41 |
| Chariton | 8,438 | 9,202 | -764 | 110 | -8.3% | 111 |
| Christian | 54,285 | 32,644 | 21,641 | 8 | 66.3% | 1 |
| Clark | 7,416 | 7,547 | -131 | 104 | -1.7% | 104 |
| Clay | 184,006 | 153,411 | 30,595 | 3 | 19.9% | 21 |
| Clinton | 18,979 | 16,595 | 2,384 | 41 | 14.4% | 35 |
| Cole | 71,397 | 63,579 | 7,818 | 19 | 12.3% | 47 |
| Cooper | 16,670 | 14,835 | 1,835 | 48 | 12.4% | 46 |
| Crawford | 22,804 | 19,173 | 3,631 | 34 | 18.9% | 23 |
| Dade | 7,923 | 7,449 | 474 | 81 | 6.4% | 71 |
| Dallas | 15,661 | 12,646 | 3,015 | 36 | 23.8% | 15 |
| Daviess | 8,016 | 7,865 | 151 | 92 | 1.9% | 89 |
| DeKalb | 11,597 | 9,967 | 1,630 | 52 | 16.4% | 28 |
| Dent | 14,927 | 13,702 | 1,225 | 62 | 8.9% | 62 |
| Douglas | 13,084 | 11,876 | 1,208 | 63 | 10.2% | 55 |
| Dunklin | 33,155 | 33,112 | 43 | 94 | 0.1% | 97 |
| Franklin | 93,807 | 80,603 | 13,204 | 13 | 16.4% | 27 |
| Gasconade | 15,342 | 14,006 | 1,336 | 60 | 9.5% | 59 |
| Gentry | 6,861 | 6,848 | 13 | 97 | 0.2% | 96 |
| Greene | 240,391 | 207,949 | 32,442 | 2 | 15.6% | 30 |
| Grundy | 10,432 | 10,536 | -104 | 102 | -1.0% | 102 |
| Harrison | 8,850 | 8,469 | 381 | 85 | 4.5% | 77 |
| Henry | 21,997 | 20,044 | 1,953 | 45 | 9.7% | 57 |
| Hickory | 8,940 | 7,335 | 1,605 | 54 | 21.9% | 18 |
| Holt | 5,351 | 6,034 | -683 | 109 | -11.3% | 113 |
| Howard | 10,212 | 9,631 | 581 | 80 | 6.0% | 74 |
| Howell | 37,238 | 31,447 | 5,791 | 24 | 18.4% | 25 |
| Iron | 10,697 | 10,726 | -29 | 98 | -0.3% | 99 |
| Jackson | 654,880 | 633,232 | 21,648 | 7 | 3.4% | 79 |
| Jasper | 104,686 | 90,465 | 14,221 | 11 | 15.7% | 29 |
| Jefferson | 198,099 | 171,380 | 26,719 | 4 | 15.6% | 31 |
| Johnson | 48,258 | 42,514 | 5,744 | 25 | 13.5% | 42 |
| Knox | 4,361 | 4,482 | -121 | 103 | -2.7% | 107 |
| Laclede | 32,513 | 27,158 | 5,355 | 26 | 19.7% | 22 |
| Lafayette | 32,960 | 31,107 | 1,853 | 47 | 6.0% | 75 |
| Lawrence | 35,204 | 30,236 | 4,968 | 29 | 16.4% | 26 |
| Lewis | 10,494 | 10,233 | 261 | 87 | 2.6% | 85 |
| Lincoln | 38,944 | 28,892 | 10,052 | 14 | 34.8% | 4 |
| Linn | 13,754 | 13,885 | -131 | 104 | -0.9% | 101 |
| Livingston | 14,558 | 14,592 | -34 | 99 | -0.2% | 98 |
| Macon | 15,762 | 15,345 | 417 | 83 | 2.7% | 83 |
| Madison | 11,800 | 11,127 | 673 | 77 | 6.0% | 73 |
| Maries | 8,903 | 7,976 | 927 | 71 | 11.6% | 48 |
| Marion | 28,289 | 27,682 | 607 | 78 | 2.2% | 88 |
| McDonald | 21,681 | 16,938 | 4,743 | 30 | 28.0% | 9 |
| Mercer | 3,757 | 3,723 | 34 | 95 | 0.9% | 94 |
| Miller | 23,564 | 20,700 | 2,864 | 39 | 13.8% | 38 |
| Mississippi | 13,427 | 14,442 | -1,015 | 111 | -7.0% | 110 |
| Moniteau | 14,827 | 12,298 | 2,529 | 40 | 20.6% | 19 |
| Monroe | 9,311 | 9,104 | 207 | 89 | 2.3% | 87 |
| Montgomery | 12,136 | 11,355 | 781 | 75 | 6.9% | 70 |
| Morgan | 19,309 | 15,574 | 3,735 | 33 | 24.0% | 13 |
| New Madrid | 19,760 | 20,928 | -1,168 | 113 | -5.6% | 109 |
| Newton | 52,636 | 44,445 | 8,191 | 17 | 18.4% | 24 |
| Nodaway | 21,912 | 21,709 | 203 | 90 | 0.9% | 93 |
| Oregon | 10,344 | 9,470 | 874 | 73 | 9.2% | 61 |
| Osage | 13,062 | 12,018 | 1,044 | 69 | 8.7% | 64 |
| Ozark | 9,542 | 8,598 | 944 | 70 | 11.0% | 52 |
| Pemiscot | 20,047 | 21,921 | -1,874 | 114 | -8.5% | 112 |
| Perry | 18,132 | 16,648 | 1,484 | 56 | 8.9% | 63 |
| Pettis | 39,403 | 35,437 | 3,966 | 32 | 11.2% | 51 |
| Phelps | 39,825 | 35,248 | 4,577 | 31 | 13.0% | 44 |
| Pike | 18,351 | 15,969 | 2,382 | 42 | 14.9% | 32 |
| Platte | 73,781 | 57,867 | 15,914 | 10 | 27.5% | 10 |
| Polk | 26,992 | 21,826 | 5,166 | 27 | 23.7% | 16 |
| Pulaski | 41,165 | 41,307 | -142 | 106 | -0.3% | 100 |
| Putnam | 5,223 | 5,079 | 144 | 93 | 2.8% | 81 |
| Ralls | 9,626 | 8,476 | 1,150 | 67 | 13.6% | 40 |
| Randolph | 24,663 | 24,370 | 293 | 86 | 1.2% | 91 |
| Ray | 23,354 | 21,971 | 1,383 | 59 | 6.3% | 72 |
| Reynolds | 6,689 | 6,661 | 28 | 96 | 0.4% | 95 |
| Ripley | 13,509 | 12,303 | 1,206 | 64 | 9.8% | 56 |
| Saline | 23,756 | 23,523 | 233 | 88 | 1.0% | 92 |
| Schuyler | 4,170 | 4,236 | -66 | 101 | -1.6% | 103 |
| Scotland | 4,983 | 4,822 | 161 | 91 | 3.3% | 80 |
| Scott | 40,422 | 39,376 | 1,046 | 68 | 2.7% | 84 |
| Shannon | 8,324 | 7,613 | 711 | 76 | 9.3% | 60 |
| Shelby | 6,799 | 6,942 | -143 | 107 | -2.1% | 105 |
| St. Charles | 283,883 | 212,907 | 70,976 | 1 | 33.3% | 6 |
| St. Clair | 9,652 | 8,457 | 1,195 | 66 | 14.1% | 36 |
| St. Francois | 55,641 | 48,904 | 6,737 | 22 | 13.8% | 39 |
| St. Louis | 1,016,315 | 993,529 | 22,786 | 6 | 2.3% | 86 |
| St. Louis City | 348,189 | 396,685 | -48,496 | 115 | -12.2% | 114 |
| Ste. Genevieve | 17,842 | 16,037 | 1,805 | 49 | 11.3% | 50 |
| Stoddard | 29,705 | 28,895 | 810 | 74 | 2.8% | 82 |
| Stone | 28,658 | 19,078 | 9,580 | 15 | 50.2% | 3 |
| Sullivan | 7,219 | 6,326 | 893 | 72 | 14.1% | 37 |
| Taney | 39,703 | 25,561 | 14,142 | 12 | 55.3% | 2 |
| Texas | 23,003 | 21,476 | 1,527 | 55 | 7.1% | 68 |
| Vernon | 20,454 | 19,041 | 1,413 | 57 | 7.4% | 66 |
| Warren | 24,525 | 19,534 | 4,991 | 28 | 25.6% | 11 |
| Washington | 23,344 | 20,380 | 2,964 | 37 | 14.5% | 34 |
| Wayne | 13,259 | 11,543 | 1,716 | 50 | 14.9% | 33 |
| Webster | 31,045 | 23,753 | 7,292 | 20 | 30.7% | 7 |
| Worth | 2,382 | 2,440 | -58 | 100 | -2.4% | 106 |
| Wright | 17,955 | 16,758 | 1,197 | 65 | 7.1% | 67 |