Missouri's largest race category, Black or African American, reported significant population increases during the 1990's. The black population grew 14.5% from 549,719 in 1990 to 629,391 in 2000. In contrast, Missouri's total population grew by 9.3% from just over 5.1 million in 1990 to slightly under 5.6 million in 2000.
Cedar (1366.7%), Reynolds (1066.7%), and Crawford (1000%) counties reported enormous percent increases since 1990 in Black population. St. Louis County reported the largest increase in persons - 53,711, a 38.5% increase; followed by Jackson County with 16,084, an 11.8% increase; and Boone County with 3,165, a 37.6% increase. Thirty-two of Missouri's 114 counties reported percentage increases from 1990 of over 100%, with three reporting increases of 1,000% or higher.
Not all of Missouri counties experienced positive growth in Black population. Osage (-46.2%), Stoddard (-34.0%), and Knox (-33.3%) counties experienced the largest percent declines in Black population. St. Louis City experienced the largest decline in the number of Black persons, 10,399, a 5.5% decrease; followed by Pulaski County with a loss of 770 persons, a 13.5% decrease; and Johnson County with a loss of 382 persons, a 15.5% decrease. Overall, twenty-five of Missouri's 114 counties and the City of St. Louis reported negative growth in the Black population, while three counties reported no change.
Census data for the 1990 and 2000 census are not directly comparable because individuals could report only one race in the 1990 census and could report multiple races in the 2000 census. Thus the difference in population is due both to changes in the census questionnaire and to real population change.
| Ten Largest Counties | Ten Smallest Counties | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Population | County | Population |
| St. Louis County | 193,306 | Mercer County | 7 |
| City of St. Louis | 178,266 | Holt County | 6 |
| Jackson County | 152,391 | Ripley County | 6 |
| Boone County | 11,572 | Carter County | 5 |
| St. Charles County | 7,635 | Clark County | 5 |
| Cole County | 7,084 | Daviess County | 4 |
| Greene County | 5,426 | Knox County | 4 |
| Pemiscot County | 5,259 | Worth County | 4 |
| Pulaski County | 4,935 | Putnam County | 3 |
| Clay County | 4,894 | Schuyler County | 2 |
| Ten Largest Growth | Ten Smallest Growth | ||
| County | Population | County | Population |
| St. Louis County | 53,711 | City of St. Louis | -10,399 |
| Jackson County | 16,084 | Pulaski County | -770 |
| Boone County | 3,165 | Johnson County | -382 |
| St. Charles County | 2,681 | Pemiscot County | -338 |
| Cole County | 2,235 | New Madrid County | -244 |
| Clay County | 2,185 | Stoddard County | -139 |
| Greene County | 1,665 | Lafayette County | -133 |
| Platte County | 1,348 | Randolph County | -106 |
| Buchanan County | 1,098 | Saline County | -79 |
| Pike County | 834 | Lewis County | -78 |
| Ten Fastest Growth | Ten Slowest Growth | ||
| County | Percentage Change | County | Percentage Change |
| Cedar County | 1366.7% | Osage County | -46.2% |
| Reynolds County | 1066.7% | Stoddard County | -34.0% |
| Crawford County | 1000.0% | Knox County | -33.3% |
| Sullivan County | 900.0% | Linn County | -29.3% |
| McDonald County | 850.0% | Lewis County | -22.7% |
| Taney County | 762.5% | Ralls County | -22.5% |
| Ozark County | 600.0% | Chariton County | -20.2% |
| Dent County | 490.0% | Carroll County | -19.9% |
| Carter County | 400.0% | Johnson County | -15.5% |
| Douglas County | 366.7% | Lafayette County | -15.1% |
| County | 2000 Total Population | 2000 Black Population | 1990 Black Population | Total Change from 1990 | % Change from 1990 | County | 2000 Total Population | 2000 Black Population | 1990 Black Population | Total Change from 1990 | % Change from 1990 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri total | 5,595,211 | 629,391 | 549,719 | 79,672 | 14.5% | Lincoln County | 38,944 | 677 | 591 | 86 | 14.6% |
| Adair County | 24,977 | 299 | 223 | 76 | 34.1% | Linn County | 13,754 | 82 | 116 | -34 | -29.3% |
| Andrew County | 16,492 | 69 | 32 | 37 | 115.6% | Livingston County | 14,558 | 339 | 319 | 20 | 6.3% |
| Atchison County | 6,430 | 132 | 87 | 45 | 51.7% | Macon County | 15,762 | 349 | 363 | -14 | -3.9% |
| Audrain County | 25,853 | 1,859 | 1,421 | 438 | 30.8% | Madison County | 11,800 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
| Barry County | 34,010 | 39 | 25 | 14 | 56.0% | Maries County | 8,903 | 29 | 27 | 2 | 7.4% |
| Barton County | 12,541 | 36 | 11 | 25 | 227.3% | Marion County | 28,289 | 1,308 | 1,251 | 57 | 4.6% |
| Bates County | 16,653 | 101 | 108 | -7 | -6.5% | McDonald County | 21,681 | 38 | 4 | 34 | 850.0% |
| Benton County | 17,180 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 92.3% | Mercer County | 3,757 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 133.3% |
| Bollinger County | 12,029 | 25 | 12 | 13 | 108.3% | Miller County | 23,564 | 65 | 23 | 42 | 182.6% |
| Boone County | 135,454 | 11,572 | 8,407 | 3,165 | 37.6% | Mississippi County | 13,427 | 2,757 | 2,804 | -47 | -1.7% |
| Buchanan County | 85,998 | 3,751 | 2,653 | 1,098 | 41.4% | Moniteau County | 14,827 | 561 | 158 | 403 | 255.1% |
| Butler County | 40,867 | 2,132 | 1,983 | 149 | 7.5% | Monroe County | 9,311 | 357 | 357 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Caldwell County | 8,969 | 12 | 14 | -2 | -14.3% | Montgomery County | 12,136 | 248 | 289 | -41 | -14.2% |
| Callaway County | 40,766 | 2,307 | 1,582 | 725 | 45.8% | Morgan County | 19,309 | 98 | 94 | 4 | 4.3% |
| Camden County | 37,051 | 95 | 58 | 37 | 63.8% | New Madrid County | 19,760 | 3,035 | 3,279 | -244 | -7.4% |
| Cape Girardeau County | 68,693 | 3,624 | 2,993 | 631 | 21.1% | Newton County | 52,636 | 312 | 175 | 137 | 78.3% |
| Carroll County | 10,285 | 177 | 221 | -44 | -19.9% | Nodaway County | 21,912 | 295 | 166 | 129 | 77.7% |
| Carter County | 5,941 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 400.0% | Oregon County | 10,344 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 233.3% |
| Cass County | 82,092 | 1,166 | 687 | 479 | 69.7% | Osage County | 13,062 | 21 | 39 | -18 | -46.2% |
| Cedar County | 13,733 | 44 | 3 | 41 | 1366.7% | Ozark County | 9,542 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 600.0% |
| Chariton County | 8,438 | 269 | 337 | -68 | -20.2% | Pemiscot County | 20,047 | 5,259 | 5,597 | -338 | -6.0% |
| Christian County | 54,285 | 145 | 35 | 110 | 314.3% | Perry County | 18,132 | 33 | 17 | 16 | 94.1% |
| City of St. Louis | 348,189 | 178,266 | 188,665 | -10,399 | -5.5% | Pettis County | 39,403 | 1,197 | 1,172 | 25 | 2.1% |
| Clark County | 7,416 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | Phelps County | 39,825 | 596 | 398 | 198 | 49.7% |
| Clay County | 184,006 | 4,894 | 2,709 | 2,185 | 80.7% | Pike County | 18,351 | 1,682 | 848 | 834 | 98.3% |
| Clinton County | 18,979 | 288 | 337 | -49 | -14.5% | Platte County | 73,781 | 2,574 | 1,226 | 1,348 | 110.0% |
| Cole County | 71,397 | 7,084 | 4,849 | 2,235 | 46.1% | Polk County | 26,992 | 122 | 70 | 52 | 74.3% |
| Cooper County | 16,670 | 1,493 | 1,150 | 343 | 29.8% | Pulaski County | 41,165 | 4,935 | 5,705 | -770 | -13.5% |
| Crawford County | 22,804 | 33 | 3 | 30 | 1000.0% | Putnam County | 5,223 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Dade County | 7,923 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 5.0% | Ralls County | 9,626 | 107 | 138 | -31 | -22.5% |
| Dallas County | 15,661 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 18.8% | Randolph County | 24,663 | 1,734 | 1,840 | -106 | -5.8% |
| Daviess County | 8,016 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | Ray County | 23,354 | 341 | 303 | 38 | 12.5% |
| DeKalb County | 11,597 | 1,028 | 749 | 279 | 37.2% | Reynolds County | 6,689 | 35 | 3 | 32 | 1066.7% |
| Dent County | 14,927 | 59 | 10 | 49 | 490.0% | Ripley County | 13,509 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Douglas County | 13,084 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 366.7% | Saline County | 23,756 | 1,280 | 1,359 | -79 | -5.8% |
| Dunklin County | 33,155 | 2,879 | 2,635 | 244 | 9.3% | Schuyler County | 4,170 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Franklin County | 93,807 | 882 | 752 | 130 | 17.3% | Scotland County | 4,983 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 233.3% |
| Gasconade County | 15,342 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 63.6% | Scott County | 40,422 | 4,246 | 3,499 | 747 | 21.3% |
| Gentry County | 6,861 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 33.3% | Shannon County | 8,324 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 366.7% |
| Greene County | 240,391 | 5,426 | 3,761 | 1,665 | 44.3% | Shelby County | 6,799 | 66 | 56 | 10 | 17.9% |
| Grundy County | 10,432 | 42 | 11 | 31 | 281.8% | St. Charles County | 283,883 | 7,635 | 4,954 | 2,681 | 54.1% |
| Harrison County | 8,850 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 50.0% | St. Clair County | 9,652 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Henry County | 21,997 | 225 | 227 | -2 | -0.9% | St. Francois County | 55,641 | 1,126 | 969 | 157 | 16.2% |
| Hickory County | 8,940 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 40.0% | St. Louis County | 1,016,315 | 193,306 | 139,595 | 53,711 | 38.5% |
| Holt County | 5,351 | 6 | 7 | -1 | -14.3% | Ste. Genevieve County | 17,842 | 128 | 45 | 83 | 184.4% |
| Howard County | 10,212 | 699 | 733 | -34 | -4.6% | Stoddard County | 29,705 | 270 | 409 | -139 | -34.0% |
| Howell County | 37,238 | 114 | 62 | 52 | 83.9% | Stone County | 28,658 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 250.0% |
| Iron County | 10,697 | 167 | 49 | 118 | 240.8% | Sullivan County | 7,219 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 900.0% |
| Jackson County | 654,880 | 152,391 | 136,307 | 16,084 | 11.8% | Taney County | 39,703 | 138 | 16 | 122 | 762.5% |
| Jasper County | 104,686 | 1,551 | 1,155 | 396 | 34.3% | Texas County | 23,003 | 49 | 16 | 33 | 206.3% |
| Jefferson County | 198,099 | 1,354 | 1,209 | 145 | 12.0% | Vernon County | 20,454 | 125 | 59 | 66 | 111.9% |
| Johnson County | 48,258 | 2,089 | 2,471 | -382 | -15.5% | Warren County | 24,525 | 476 | 513 | -37 | -7.2% |
| Knox County | 4,361 | 4 | 6 | -2 | -33.3% | Washington County | 23,344 | 578 | 378 | 200 | 52.9% |
| Laclede County | 32,513 | 138 | 96 | 42 | 43.8% | Wayne County | 13,259 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 175.0% |
| Lafayette County | 32,960 | 749 | 882 | -133 | -15.1% | Webster County | 31,045 | 359 | 190 | 169 | 88.9% |
| Lawrence County | 35,204 | 95 | 24 | 71 | 295.8% | Worth County | 2,382 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 300.0% |
| Lewis County | 10,494 | 265 | 343 | -78 | -22.7% | Wright County | 17,955 | 50 | 36 | 14 | 38.9% |