City · Missouri
Waverly, Missouri
Waverly, city, in Lafayette County, Missouri. Waverly had 819 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 784 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 901 (±218). GEOID 2977866.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
819
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 784 · ACS 2020-2024: 901 ±218
Median household income
$47,969
±$9,219 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$117,700
±$14,305 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
$910
±$70 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Waverly and what county is it in?
Waverly is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 622 residents per square mile in 2020.
Waverly 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 Waverly, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 819 people lived in Waverly on July 1, 2025, up 3.4% since 2020, faster than Missouri (+1.9%). The 2020 Census counted 784 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 901 (±218).
| Measure | Waverly | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 901 ±218 | 33,115 | no clear change |
| Households | 309 ±79 | 12,576 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.70 ±0.53 | 2.58 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 334 ±89 | 14,221 | no clear change |
Waverly's population since 2000
From 806 in 2000 to 819 in 2025: up 1.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Waverly 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 Waverly?
The median resident of Waverly is 34.0 years old; 32.7% are under 18 and 21.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.2%, then non-Hispanic residents of some other race at 7.4%.
| Measure | Waverly | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.0 ±9.6 | 40.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 32.7% ±9.0 pts | 23.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.4% ±5.1 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Male | 53.3% ±6.6 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.1% ±6.7 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.2% ±12.4 pts | 89.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.9% ±6.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±1.7 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 7.4% ±8.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±2.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.8% ±5.5 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.7% ±1.9 pts | 9.5% | – |
| With a disability | 15.9% ±6.6 pts | 17.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.4% ±6.8 pts | 8.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.3% ±6.1 pts | 91.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.5% ±7.3 pts | 26.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.0% ±3.0 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 74.3% ±12.0 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.1% ±4.3 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 Waverly earn?
Half of Waverly's 309 households earn less than $47,969 a year (±$9,219), against $80,612 in Lafayette County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $60,304 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Waverly | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,969 ±$9,219 | $80,612 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $60,760 ±$9,135 | $93,896 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,763 ±$3,984 | $36,530 | −$10,519 |
| People below the poverty line | 9.8% ±5.4 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.7% ±8.0 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.6% ±13.0 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.2% ±3.6 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.9% ±3.3 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 Waverly?
Owners occupy 54.7% of Waverly's occupied homes and renters 45.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $117,700 by its owner (±$14,305). The median renter pays $910 a month including utilities, and 24.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Waverly | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $117,700 ±$14,305 | $216,500 | +$19,491 |
| Median gross rent | $910 ±$70 | $928 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 24.2% ±15.5 pts | 31.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,037 ±$83 | $1,371 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 54.7% ±11.5 pts | 75.7% | −14.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 45.3% ±11.5 pts | 24.3% | – |
| Housing units | 334 ±89 | 14,221 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.0 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±21.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.2% ±9.2 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.9% ±5.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±1.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.7% ±6.0 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.8% ±4.4 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 do people in Waverly work and get to work?
79.1% of Waverly's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.7 minutes.
| Measure | Waverly | Lafayette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.7% ±6.6 pts | 62.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% ±1.9 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.1% ±11.3 pts | 79.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.8% ±8.1 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.5% ±3.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.8% ±1.6 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.7 min ±6.4 | 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 Waverly?
No census tract lies mostly in Waverly; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 903Lafayette County | 1,404 | $57,875 |
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 Waverly) · Census block assignment files
How does Waverly compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Waverly is the 11,141st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 373rd-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Waverly 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 | 373rd | 936 |
Waverly's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Waverly 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 Waverly?
22 of the 57 figures for Waverly 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 Waverly 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 Waverly.