Missouri 2004 Population Facts
Based on the U.S. Census Bureau
estimates of July 1, 2004, Missouri ranks 17th in the U.S. in
population. With a total of 5,754,618 residents, Missouri had an
increase of 159,407 residents from the 2000 Census data to the 2004
population estimates.
County Population Facts
- As in 2000, St. Louis
County remains Missouri's largest with 1,009,235 residents.
Worth County is again the least populous county in Missouri with
2,294 residents.
- Over the span, eleven Missouri counties
experienced growth of 5,000 or more residents while just six
counties experienced a decrease of 500 or more residents.
- St. Louis County (-7,080), St. Louis
City (-4,910), and Buchanan County (-1,173) had the largest population
decreases in Missouri.
- While St. Louis County has lost the most residents of any Missouri county, adjoining St. Charles County, conversely, has seen rapid gains with an increase of 36,851 residents in this same period, the most of any Missouri county.
- These gains indicate a continuing trend in
population shift as Missourians sprawl from large, urban areas
outward to lesser-populated suburban areas.
- Another example is the Kansas
City metropolitan area located within Jackson County, which had
slight increases since the 2000 Census. The counties surrounding
Jackson County, however, produced significant population spikes.
Cass, Clay, Clinton, DeKalb and Platte counties combined to gain
a total of 32,864 residents from 2000 Census data to 2004
estimates.
- Two Missouri counties are on the top 100 list
for rate of fastest growing U.S. counties with 10,000 or more
population: Christian County with an 18.4% rate of increase
ranks 63rd and Lincoln County with a 17.6% rate of increase
ranks 75th.
- Christian County, with the greatest rate of
increase (18.4%) of any Missouri county from 2000 Census data to
2004 estimates, gained nearly 10,000 residents.
- Gentry County and Holt County had the greatest
rate of decline (-4.93%) of any Missouri counties.
See County Population Table.
April 2005
See Population Estimate Map.
