City · Missouri
Essex, Missouri
Essex, city, in Stoddard County, Missouri. Essex had 390 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 403 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 413 (±109). GEOID 2922600.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
390
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 403 · ACS 2020-2024: 413 ±109
Median household income
$62,536
±$8,670 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$108,700
±$22,599 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
$694
±$83 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Essex and what county is it in?
Essex is a city in Stoddard County, Missouri. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,394 residents per square mile in 2020.
Essex lies entirely within Richland Township (Stoddard County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Essex, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 390 people lived in Essex on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while Missouri grew 1.9%. The 2020 Census counted 403 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 413 (±109).
| Measure | Essex | Stoddard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 413 ±109 | 28,470 | no clear change |
| Households | 179 ±46 | 11,585 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.48 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 264 ±89 | 13,400 | no clear change |
Essex's population since 2000
From 524 in 2000 to 390 in 2025: down 25.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Essex 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 Essex?
The median resident of Essex is 42.0 years old; 21.5% are under 18 and 13.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.8%.
| Measure | Essex | Stoddard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.0 ±5.8 | 42.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.5% ±9.1 pts | 22.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.3% ±6.7 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Male | 53.8% ±7.2 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.8% ±7.7 pts | 2.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.0% ±7.9 pts | 92.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.9% ±13.4 pts | 9.1% | – |
| With a disability | 22.8% ±7.9 pts | 20.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 21.5% ±13.3 pts | 11.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 73.4% ±15.1 pts | 83.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 5.1% ±3.8 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.3% ±5.2 pts | 87.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.9% ±2.5 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Essex earn?
Half of Essex's 179 households earn less than $62,536 a year (±$8,670), against $57,957 in Stoddard County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $55,381 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 24.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Essex | Stoddard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,536 ±$8,670 | $57,957 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $56,999 ±$7,843 | $72,528 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,677 ±$4,736 | $30,101 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.6% ±11.9 pts | 15.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 43.0% ±26.5 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.7% ±9.8 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.9% ±6.2 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.3% ±5.9 pts | 86.9% | – |
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 Essex?
Owners occupy 68.7% of Essex's occupied homes and renters 31.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $108,700 by its owner (±$22,599). The median renter pays $694 a month including utilities, and 47.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Essex | Stoddard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $108,700 ±$22,599 | $143,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $694 ±$83 | $760 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.3% ±20.7 pts | 21.0% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,075 ±$124 | $1,110 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 68.7% ±15.4 pts | 71.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.3% ±15.4 pts | 28.2% | – |
| Housing units | 264 ±89 | 13,400 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±24.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±41.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.7% ±22.1 pts | 80.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.4% ±4.9 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±2.0 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.2% ±3.9 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.6% ±18.8 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.1% ±6.2 pts | 3.6% | – |
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 do people in Essex work and get to work?
98.3% of Essex's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.1 minutes.
| Measure | Essex | Stoddard County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 69.2% ±10.1 pts | 56.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.6% ±2.8 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 98.3% ±1.9 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.8% ±1.2 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±13.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.8% ±1.5 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.1 min ±6.8 | 23.1 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 Essex?
No census tract lies mostly in Essex; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4704Stoddard County | 2,651 | $61,471 |
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 Essex) · Census block assignment files
How does Essex compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Essex is the 14,226th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 523rd-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Essex 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 | 523rd | 936 |
Essex's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Essex 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 Essex?
25 of the 57 figures for Essex 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 Essex 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 Essex.