City · Missouri
Alma, Missouri
Alma, city, in Lafayette County, Missouri. Alma had 392 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 400 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 450 (±118). GEOID 2900802.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
392
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 400 · ACS 2020-2024: 450 ±118
Median household income
$68,750
±$41,473 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$155,000
±$55,994 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
$823
±$52 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Alma and what county is it in?
Alma is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,455 residents per square mile in 2020.
Alma is in the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 14 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Alma, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 392 people lived in Alma on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while Missouri grew 1.9%. The 2020 Census counted 400 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 450 (±118).
| Measure | Alma | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 450 ±118 | 33,115 | no clear change |
| Households | 203 ±66 | 12,576 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.22 ±0.43 | 2.58 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 220 ±68 | 14,221 | no clear change |
Alma's population since 2000
From 399 in 2000 to 392 in 2025: down 1.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Alma as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Alma?
The median resident of Alma is 39.9 years old; 24.7% are under 18 and 22.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.2%.
| Measure | Alma | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.9 ±5.5 | 40.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.7% ±8.6 pts | 23.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.9% ±10.2 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Male | 47.3% ±7.8 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.4% ±0.9 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.1% ±3.1 pts | 89.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2% ±2.8 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.8% ±4.0 pts | 9.5% | – |
| With a disability | 12.0% ±6.0 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.0% ±2.3 pts | 8.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.4% ±4.4 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 36.1% ±15.3 pts | 26.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 24.5% ±16.2 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.7% ±2.9 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±2.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Alma earn?
Half of Alma's 203 households earn less than $68,750 a year (±$41,473), against $80,612 in Lafayette County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $71,278 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Alma | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,750 ±$41,473 | $80,612 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $82,770 ±$20,438 | $93,896 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,120 ±$14,278 | $36,530 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.6% ±7.7 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.9% ±14.3 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.4% ±7.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.6% ±5.6 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 60.6% ±22.2 pts | 87.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Alma?
Owners occupy 84.7% of Alma's occupied homes and renters 15.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $155,000 by its owner (±$55,994). The median renter pays $823 a month including utilities, and 52.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Alma | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $155,000 ±$55,994 | $216,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $823 ±$52 | $928 | −$456 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 52.0% ±27.1 pts | 31.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $927 ±$200 | $1,371 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.7% ±8.9 pts | 75.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 15.3% ±8.9 pts | 24.3% | – |
| Housing units | 220 ±68 | 14,221 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 15.4% ±22.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 94.1% ±4.9 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.7% ±3.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±14.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±4.8 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 15.9% ±8.1 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.0% ±2.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Alma building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Alma in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 2.8 across Missouri.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Alma work and get to work?
84.7% of Alma's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.7 minutes.
| Measure | Alma | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.3% ±10.1 pts | 62.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% ±4.9 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.7% ±8.1 pts | 79.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.9% ±4.1 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±15.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 5.4% ±4.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.9% ±3.7 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.7 min ±5.2 | 24.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Alma?
No census tract lies mostly in Alma; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 904.01Lafayette County | 3,840 | $93,368 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Alma) · Census block assignment files
How does Alma compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Alma is the 14,205th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 520th-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Alma is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 520th | 936 |
Alma's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Alma with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Alma?
25 of the 57 figures for Alma on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Alma are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Alma.