County · Missouri

Vernon County, Missouri

Vernon County, Missouri. Vernon County had 19,946 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.3% since 2020, slower than Missouri (+1.9%). It holds 32 places (12 cities, villages and boroughs and 20 towns and townships) and 6 census tracts. GEOID 29217.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

19,946

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 19,707 · ACS 2020-2024: 19,687

Median household income

$52,230

±$3,655 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702

Median home value

$158,800

±$8,409 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300

Median gross rent

$734

±$55 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033

How many people live in Vernon County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 19,707 residents in Vernon County. The Census Bureau estimates 19,946 for July 1, 2025, up 1.3% since 2020, slower than Missouri (+1.9%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 19,687 over 826 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −79 (19,580)
2021→2022 +2 (19,582)
2022→2023 +165 (19,747)
2023→2024 +31 (19,778)
2024→2025 +168 (19,946)

Vernon County in Missouri. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Vernon County	Missouri	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	19,687	6,191,814	−908
Households	7,754±239	2,508,227	−453
Average household size	2.46±0.08	2.40	no clear change
Housing units	8,928±55	2,825,287	−652

Vernon County's population since 2000

From 20,454 in 2000 to 19,946 in 2025: down 2.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 20,454
2005 (estimate) 20,722
2010 Census 21,159
2015 (estimate) 20,775
2020 Census 19,707
2025 (estimate) 19,946

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Vernon County?

Vernon County holds 32 places: 12 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 20 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Center Township with 9,550 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Vernon County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Center Township	township	9,392	9,372±27	$49,962	$149,100	19.1%	100%
Nevada	city	8,212	7,925±488	$42,813	$122,700	27.8%	100%
Washington Township, Vernon County	township	2,298	2,241±563	$63,313	$170,700	23.1%	100%
Drywood Township	township	1,215	1,152±206	$55,950	$163,400	18.1%	100%
Deerfield TownshipGEOID 2921718820	township	765	654±184	$48,618	$120,700	13.1%	100%
Moundville Township	township	647	628±146	$61,250	$113,900	15.2%	100%
Bacon Township	township	614	633±175	$44,688	$91,100	22.9%	100%
Clear Creek TownshipGEOID 2921714644	township	556	575±233	$65,568	$167,800	17.6%	100%
Walker Township, Vernon County	township	492	765±212	$43,646	$174,300	10.8%	100%
Virgil TownshipGEOID 2921776318	township	490	631±337	$35,625	$174,200	66.9%	100%
Dover TownshipGEOID 2921719972	township	451	317±127	$75,729	$282,800	4.7%	100%
Sheldon	city	435	443±118	$41,848	$67,500	37.0%	100%
Badger TownshipGEOID 2921702926	township	417	339±123	$61,083	$219,400	9.4%	100%
Blue Mound Township, Vernon CountyGEOID 2921706598	township	398	301±177	$59,338	$170,800	9.3%	100%
Montevallo TownshipGEOID 2921749484	township	325	686±336	$70,610	$314,300	8.9%	100%
Metz TownshipGEOID 2921747630	township	298	174±99	$90,000	$308,300	0.0%	100%
Osage Township, Vernon CountyGEOID 2921755226	township	277	248±130	$43,950	$121,400	17.3%	100%
Henry TownshipGEOID 2921731672	township	247	176±123	$66,667	$163,900	5.4%	100%
Coal TownshipGEOID 2921715166	township	239	275±130	$52,625	$87,700	10.9%	100%
Harrison Township, Vernon CountyGEOID 2921730592	township	233	202±76	$83,281	$229,200	6.4%	100%
Schell CityGEOID 2966134	city	228	224±89	$46,250	$57,500	11.2%	100%
WalkerGEOID 2976660	city	199	359±180	$40,417	not published	10.3%	100%
Lake TownshipGEOID 2921739818	township	196	194±108	$127,083	$317,100	3.6%	100%
Bronaugh	city	163	163±64	$52,917	$43,600	31.4%	100%
Richland Township, Vernon CountyGEOID 2921761634	township	157	124±65	$57,895	$115,600	12.1%	100%
MoundvilleGEOID 2950330	town	78	98±47	$56,667	$72,500	13.3%	100%
MiloGEOID 2948476	village	57	47±33	$35,500	$60,000	46.8%	100%
RichardsGEOID 2961364	town	43	49±25	$45,804	$65,700	30.6%	100%
DeerfieldGEOID 2918802	village	40	43±30	not published	$113,900	18.6%	100%
HarwoodGEOID 2930862	village	29	6±7	not published	not published	100.0%	100%
MetzGEOID 2947612	town	22	7±8	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
StotesburyGEOID 2970954	town	12	0±12	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Vernon County?

The median resident of Vernon County is 41.9 years old; 23.8% are under 18 and 20.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.8%. 2.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Vernon County	Missouri	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	41.9±0.5	39.0	no clear change
Under 18 years	23.8%±0.2 pts	22.3%	–
65 years and over	20.6%±0.3 pts	17.9%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.7%	5.2%	+0.5 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	92.6%±0.2 pts	76.3%	−1.3 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.9%±0.3 pts	10.9%	–
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.2 pts	2.1%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.2%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.8%±0.3 pts	4.8%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.4%	–
Born outside the United States	2.2%±0.8 pts	4.5%	+1.1 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	6.5%±2.2 pts	6.7%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	5.8%±1.1 pts	7.3%	–
With a disability	19.3%±2.2 pts	14.9%	–
No health insurance coverage	14.4%±2.9 pts	8.8%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	89.0%±1.8 pts	91.9%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	16.6%±2.2 pts	32.4%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	6.0%±1.3 pts	12.6%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.9%±0.8 pts	2.5%	–

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 Vernon County earn?

Half of Vernon County's 7,754 households earn less than $52,230 a year (±$3,655), against $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $53,260 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 18.8% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Vernon County	Missouri	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$52,230±$3,655	$70,702	no clear change
Mean household income	$65,264±$2,886	$96,247	–
Per capita income	$25,885±$1,341	$39,695	−$4,036
People below the poverty line	18.8%±3.6 pts	12.6%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	22.6%±7.2 pts	15.8%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	14.9%±2.8 pts	9.8%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	84.3%±2.4 pts	89.3%	–

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 Vernon County?

Owners occupy 71.3% of Vernon County's occupied homes and renters 28.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,800 by its owner (±$8,409). The median renter pays $734 a month including utilities, and 28.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Vernon County	Missouri	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$158,800±$8,409	$230,300	+$37,823
Median gross rent	$734±$55	$1,033	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	28.0%±7.1 pts	36.6%	−11.3 pts
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,171±$51	$1,524	–
Owner-occupied homes	71.3%±3.2 pts	68.1%	no clear change
Housing units	8,928±55	2,825,287	−652
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.9%	–
Rental vacancy rate	3.3%±3.0 pts	5.0%	–
Single-family detached homes	78.1%±2.8 pts	70.5%	–
Mobile homes	9.8%±1.7 pts	5.2%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.8%±0.4 pts	1.6%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	19.1%±2.8 pts	13.3%	–

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 Vernon County building?

Builders took permits for 15 new housing units across Vernon County in 2025 (7 single-family), 0.8 per 1,000 residents.

2019 13 units
2020 11 units
2021 16 units
2022 23 units
2023 18 units
2024 57 units
2025 15 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Vernon County get to work?

73.1% of Vernon County's workers drive alone and 11.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.2%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Vernon County	Missouri	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	56.7%±2.3 pts	63.1%	–
Unemployment rate	4.2%±1.3 pts	4.0%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	73.1%±4.0 pts	74.8%	–
Carpooled	9.5%±3.2 pts	8.1%	–
Public transportation	0.2%±0.2 pts	0.8%	–
Walked	2.3%±0.9 pts	1.8%	–
Worked from home	11.8%±2.4 pts	13.0%	no clear change
Mean travel time to work	19.4 min±1.4	23.5 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 are Vernon County's census tracts?

Vernon County is divided into 6 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $47,365 (Tract 9504) to $75,645 (Tract 9505).

Census tracts of Vernon County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 950129217950100	Schell City (6%)	3,277	3,721±495	$52,702	$168,200	$993	22.8%
Tract 950229217950200	Richards (6%)	1,758	1,548±253	$66,389	$170,300	$689	7.7%
Tract 950329217950300	Nevada (88%)	5,887	5,623±483	$47,422	$145,800	$626	24.7%
Tract 950429217950400	Nevada (86%)	3,339	3,517±348	$47,365	$97,400	$845	24.1%
Tract 950529217950500	Deerfield (5%)	2,833	2,706±256	$75,645	$237,800	$848	5.7%
Tract 950629217950600	Sheldon (12%)	2,613	2,572±317	$58,819	$159,800	$606	14.4%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Vernon County compare with Missouri's other counties?

Vernon County's rank among Missouri's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	56th of 115
Growth 2020-2025	62nd of 115
Residents per square mile	71st of 115
Median household income	92nd of 115
Median home value	74th of 115
Median gross rent	68th of 115
Poverty rate	21st of 115
Bachelor's degree or higher	73rd of 115
Median age	47th of 115

Every county in Missouri

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Vernon County 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' school search.