Ripley County, Missouri Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Ripley County, Missouri, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Ripley County, Missouri. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Ripley County, Missouri. The estimated population of Ripley County, Missouri is 11,032 people, with a median age of 41.5.

We can look at the total population in Ripley County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
11,032
 -18.18% -20.10%
2020
13,484
 -0.61% -
2019
13,567
 -0.92% -
2018
13,693
 -0.83% -
2017
13,807
 - -

Population of Ripley County, Missouri by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
94.3%
95.3%
 -1.05%
Black/African American
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%
Native
0.1%
0.4%
 -75.00%
Hispanic
1.5%
1.3%
 +15.38%
Asian
0.6%
0%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.4%
 -75.00%
Two Or More Races
3%
2.3%
 +30.43%
Other
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Ripley County, Missouri by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 41.5 -1.43% 40.8 0% 43.2 -1.37%
2020 42.1 -0.47% 40.8 -1.69% 43.8 +0.46%
2019 42.3 -0.94% 41.5 -0.95% 43.6 -0.46%
2018 42.7 +0.47% 41.9 +1.45% 43.8 +0.46%
2017 42.5 - 41.3 - 43.6 -

The median age of Ripley County, Missouri gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 1,036 -30.01% 841 -1.34% 740 817
10 to 19 770 -8.83% 805 -31.58% 700 577
20 to 29 757 -29.75% 799 -27.3% 551 586
30 to 39 775 -9.01% 727 -6.01% 683 672
40 to 49 843 -29.25% 788 -32.91% 612 553
50 to 59 1,017 -24.71% 1,026 -37.75% 770 675
60 to 69 824 -29.31% 903 -3.17% 597 857
70+ 884 -10.43% 1,012 -11.81% 760 882

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Ripley County, Missouri is $36,089.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Ripley County.

  • Under 25
    $28,798.00
  • 25 to 44
    $56,559.00
  • 45 to 64
    $41,250.00
  • 65 and over
    $24,053.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Ripley County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Ripley County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Ripley County, Missouri is currently $48,319.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.09% of households in Ripley County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Ripley County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    37.17%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.17%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    21.64%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    10.74%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    6.11%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1.09%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.09%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Ripley County is $19,083.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Ripley County by the total population of Ripley County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Ripley County, Missouri, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Ripley County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    4.27%
  • Bachelor's degree
    13.14%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    18.02%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    62.75%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.83%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Ripley County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Ripley County over the age of 16 is 8,605.

Of those people, a total of 50.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Ripley County is 47.80%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 407 50.10% 6.40%
20 to 24 years 517 71.20% 2.20%
25 to 29 years 620 64.40% 7.80%
30 to 34 years 634 71.90% 6.40%
35 to 44 years 1,237 76.40% 6.90%
45 to 54 years 1,327 73.70% 5.20%
55 to 59 years 767 57.00% 1.10%
60 to 64 years 855 41.50% 3.40%
65 to 74 years 1,264 14.20% 3.90%
75 years and over 977 0.90% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Ripley County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 8,234 51.00% 5.20%
Black or African American 30 100.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 12 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 69 34.80% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 11 0.00% 0.00%
Other 20 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 229 33.20% 5.30%
Hispanic or Latino 73 63.00% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 8,180 50.80% 5.20%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Ripley County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Ripley County is 4,110, with median earnings of $26,891.00.

Women in Ripley County, Missouri earning approximately 66.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 4,110 $26,891.00
Male 2,105 $32,798.00
Female 2,005 $21,936.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 366 $45,167.00
Business and Financial 47 $29,676.00
Computer and Mathematical 3 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 27 $50,089.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 14 $0.00
Community and Social Service 58 $41,875.00
Legal 42 $0.00
Educational and Library 272 $39,537.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 46 $18,977.00
Healthcare Practitioners 224 $29,038.00
Healthcare Support 370 $15,702.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 32 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 115 $9,077.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 236 $12,128.00
Personal Care and Service 50 $25,776.00
Sales 331 $23,306.00
Office and Administrative Support 280 $25,750.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 31 $53,281.00
Construction and Extraction 231 $25,430.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 197 $33,875.00
Production 529 $27,651.00
Transportation and Material Moving 409 $53,125.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 250 $46,500.00 116 $35,000.00
Business and Financial 5 $0.00 42 $29,444.00
Computer and Mathematical 3 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 10 $0.00 17 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 14 $0.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 4 $0.00 54 $40,625.00
Legal 18 $0.00 24 $0.00
Educational and Library 74 $56,316.00 198 $33,500.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 7 $0.00 39 $18,580.00
Healthcare Practitioners 12 $0.00 212 $28,462.00
Healthcare Support 54 $17,813.00 316 $15,658.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 5 $0.00 27 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 38 $15,192.00 77 $8,281.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 88 $17,344.00 148 $11,622.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 50 $25,776.00
Sales 112 $35,000.00 219 $22,713.00
Office and Administrative Support 64 $43,250.00 216 $23,750.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 31 $53,281.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 214 $26,094.00 17 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 197 $33,875.00 0 $0.00
Production 358 $28,705.00 171 $24,125.00
Transportation and Material Moving 385 $55,250.00 24 $20,250.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 3,947 households in Ripley County, with an average household size of 2.78 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,532 families in Ripley County with an average family size of 3.51 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,965 185 382 1,415
Average Household Size 3.41 4.03 4.64 1.24
Total Families 1,965 185 382 0
Average Household Size 3.4 3.34 4.14 0

Poverty

Of the 2,532 families in Ripley County, 14.50% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Ripley County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 5,309 housing units in Ripley County, Missouri.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,947 74.35%
Vacant 1,362 25.65%

12.28% of the total 5,309 housing units in Ripley County are rental units. This is approximately 652 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,172 are occupied by the owner - or 59.75% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Ripley County is $573.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Ripley County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    123
  • Less than $500
    203
  • $500 to $999
    403
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    46
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Ripley County is $94,500.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Ripley County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    772
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    905
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    511
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    508
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    312
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    95
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    29
  • $1,000,000 or more
    40

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Ripley County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Ripley County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    401
  • 1940 to 1949
    92
  • 1950 to 1959
    263
  • 1960 to 1969
    440
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,494
  • 1980 to 1989
    684
  • 1990 to 1999
    859
  • 2000 to 2009
    762
  • 2010 to 2013
    314
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Ripley County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    254
  • 1 vehicle available
    984
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,610
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,099

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Ripley County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Ripley County that commute to work in a particular way.

34.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Ripley County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    240
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    460
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    466
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    310
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    298
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    205
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    382
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    91
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    255
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    347
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    364
  • 90 or more minutes
    277

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Ripley County, Missouri in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Ripley County, Missouri

We have data for 18 places in Ripley County, Missouri. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.