Population 16,186 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bates County
Household size in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.57 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.59 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.55 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.02 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Bates County average 2.61 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has crept up from 2.58 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 37.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.6 | 37.9 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.1 | 38.8 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 39.2 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +1.7 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Bates County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.7, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 41.4, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 11.9% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 11.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Bates County than nationally: 9.1%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bates County
Renters in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.2% | 31.2% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 33.7% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.3% | 34.9% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 34.2% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +3.0 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Bates County own their homes; 25.1% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 45.7% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 10.0% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 9.7% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 9.0% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 7.5% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.9% of the housing in Bates County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1976 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1977 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1977 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Bates County was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1967 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $621 | $897 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $570 | $980 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $726 | $1,095 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $809 | $1,395 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$188 | +$498 | +$383 | +$606 |
The median renter in Bates County pays $809 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $188 a month from 2006–10, a 30% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 25.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bates County
Bachelor's degrees in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 33.5% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 34.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 37.1% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 39.7% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bates County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.0%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.8 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.3% | 90.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.0% | 90.9% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.5% | 91.8% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.2% | 92.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +2.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bates County is close to the national rate: 90.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Kansas City area as a whole (92.9%). The share with a diploma is up 7.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bates County
| Period | Bates County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 7.6% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 4.0% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.9 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Bates County: 6.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Of Missouri's 115 counties, only seven have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bates County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates County | 2.61 | 41.7 | 9.1% | 25.1% | 14.9% | 1977 | $809 | 15.0% | 90.2% | 6.4% |
| Linn County | 2.29 | 44.8 | 7.5% | 18.9% | 16.0% | 1981 | $739 | 22.9% | 94.5% | 4.2% |
| Henry County | 2.46 | 43.2 | 12.5% | 25.0% | 14.4% | 1975 | $819 | 16.6% | 90.4% | 4.3% |
| Anderson County | 2.46 | 41.9 | 9.9% | 21.1% | 10.7% | 1963 | $862 | 13.3% | 89.2% | 4.5% |
| Benton County | 2.40 | 52.0 | 8.3% | 16.2% | 30.3% | 1984 | $731 | 14.8% | 88.8% | 3.9% |
| Coffey County | 2.33 | 43.7 | 10.4% | 24.1% | 10.9% | 1969 | $822 | 19.9% | 92.4% | 6.3% |
| Morgan County | 2.53 | 44.4 | 5.0% | 20.3% | 29.9% | 1982 | $794 | 16.3% | 79.6% | 3.2% |
| Miller County | 2.62 | 41.6 | 9.9% | 26.1% | 17.1% | 1986 | $751 | 19.7% | 88.3% | 5.2% |
| Chase County | 2.11 | 44.9 | 3.6% | 26.7% | 16.3% | 1958 | $775 | 30.8% | 92.3% | 1.0% |
| Maries County | 2.54 | 42.8 | 6.6% | 21.7% | 17.4% | 1985 | $595 | 15.0% | 88.3% | 4.6% |
| Marion County | 2.36 | 42.7 | 5.3% | 18.7% | 15.2% | 1956 | $745 | 31.2% | 92.1% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Pembina County, ND · Duchesne County, UT · Douglas County, MO · Douglas County, IL · Pamlico County, NC · Dimmit County, TX · Dickenson County, VA · Pawnee County, KS · Desha County, AR · Dent County, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bates County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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