Census tract · Buchanan County
Census Tract 17, Buchanan County, Missouri
Census Tract 17, GEOID 29021001700, in Buchanan County, Missouri, entirely within St. Joseph. 4,139 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±446); the 2020 Census counted 4,308.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,139
±446 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,308
Median household income
$49,128
±$7,106 (90% margin)
Buchanan County: $62,158
Median home value
$145,200
±$16,734 (90% margin)
Buchanan County: $166,300
Median gross rent
$890
±$107 (90% margin)
Buchanan County: $902
Where is Census Tract 17?
Census Tract 17 is one of 26 census tracts in Buchanan County, Missouri. It covers 4.09 square miles of land, 1,053 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 29021001700, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| St. Joseph | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 17: Tract 7.01 ($80,833), Tract 16 ($59,500), Tract 18 ($63,560), Tract 22 ($103,625) and Tract 27 ($79,714). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 17?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 17's population at 4,139 (±446) in 1,832 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,308 residents and 1,883 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 17 | St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,139 ±446 | 71,236 |
| Households | 1,832 ±208 | 28,756 |
| Average household size | 2.21 ±0.19 | 2.36 |
| Housing units | 2,231 ±182 | 33,255 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 17?
The median resident of Census Tract 17 is 36.8 years old; 22.8% are under 18 and 17.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 82.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 9.7%.
| Measure | Tract 17 | St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.8 ±4.0 | 38.1 |
| Under 18 years | 22.8% ±4.1 pts | 22.1% |
| 65 years and over | 17.9% ±2.8 pts | 16.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.5% ±3.3 pts | 8.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 82.1% ±8.3 pts | 77.3% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.1% ±3.3 pts | 6.5% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 1.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.4% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.7% ±6.3 pts | 5.7% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.2% |
| Born outside the United States | 2.0% ±2.2 pts | 4.5% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.5% ±3.9 pts | 6.9% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3% ±3.0 pts | 6.9% |
| With a disability | 22.3% ±5.4 pts | 19.0% |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.7% ±4.7 pts | 12.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.2% ±2.3 pts | 89.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.3% ±5.3 pts | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.9% ±2.3 pts | 7.5% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.9% ±6.9 pts | 85.2% |
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 Census Tract 17 earn?
Half of the 1,832 households in Census Tract 17 earn less than $49,128 a year (±$7,106), against $62,158 across Buchanan County: 19th highest of the county's 25 tracts with a reliable estimate. 17.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 17 | St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,128 ±$7,106 | $57,956 |
| Mean household income | $66,054 ±$10,391 | $78,435 |
| Per capita income | $30,387 ±$4,468 | $32,547 |
| People below the poverty line | 17.1% ±6.6 pts | 17.7% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.6% ±13.7 pts | 22.7% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.3% ±7.5 pts | 16.0% |
| Households with a computer | 96.1% ±2.3 pts | 93.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.4% ±2.9 pts | 85.9% |
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 Census Tract 17?
Owners occupy 65.9% of Census Tract 17's occupied homes and renters 34.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $145,200 by its owner (±$16,734). The median renter pays $890 a month including utilities, and 25.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 17 | St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $145,200 ±$16,734 | $154,200 |
| Median gross rent | $890 ±$107 | $898 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 25.7% ±14.8 pts | 41.3% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,157 ±$62 | $1,260 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 65.9% ±7.6 pts | 62.8% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 34.1% ±7.6 pts | 37.2% |
| Housing units | 2,231 ±182 | 33,255 |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.5% ±6.9 pts | 71.8% |
| Mobile homes | 8.2% ±5.5 pts | 2.6% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.1% ±4.6 pts | 4.9% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.3% ±2.5 pts | 27.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.5% ±7.0 pts | 9.5% |
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 Census Tract 17 get to work?
82.1% of Census Tract 17's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 13.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.8%.
| Measure | Tract 17 | St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.9% ±5.6 pts | 60.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% ±2.2 pts | 4.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 82.1% ±5.6 pts | 79.0% |
| Carpooled | 12.1% ±5.0 pts | 11.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.2% |
| Walked | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 1.2% |
| Worked from home | 4.4% ±3.4 pts | 7.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 13.0 min ±1.7 | 17.0 min |
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
How does Census Tract 17 compare with the other tracts in Buchanan County?
Among Buchanan County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 17 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Buchanan County | In St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8th of 26 | 7th of 23 |
| Residents per square mile | 18th of 26 | 18th of 23 |
| Median household income | 19th of 25 | 16th of 22 |
| Per capita income | 15th of 26 | 12th of 23 |
| Median home value | 13th of 25 | 10th of 22 |
| Median gross rent | 16th of 25 | 13th of 22 |
| Poverty rate | 13th of 25 | 13th of 23 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13th of 26 | 11th of 23 |
| Median age | 19th of 26 | 16th of 23 |
| Owner-occupied share | 15th of 26 | 12th of 23 |
The tracts next to it on Buchanan County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 24 | 16th | $53,480±$13,742 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3 | 17th | $49,980±$3,858 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 25 | 18th | $49,786±$13,715 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 17 | 19th | $49,128±$7,106 |
| Tract 7.02 | 20th | $48,571±$10,186 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 15 | 21st | $47,606±$9,453 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 30.02 | 22nd | $45,870±$8,921 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 17?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 17 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections