Population 83,568 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Buchanan County
Household size in Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Buchanan County has 2.46 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.50 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the east.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.2 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.7 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Buchanan County are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.0, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the southwest.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Buchanan County (12.8%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. Buchanan County has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Missouri counties.
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 Buchanan County
Renters in Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.4% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.6% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.7% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Buchanan County rent their homes (33.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 44.7% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Buchanan County than nationally: 12.8%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Buchanan County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1963, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest. Only six of Missouri's 115 counties have older homes.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $671 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $742 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $818 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $933 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$261 | +$383 | +$606 |
The median renter in Buchanan County pays $933 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $261 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the center.
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 Buchanan County
Bachelor's degrees in Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.5% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Buchanan County: 24.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.3 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southwest.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.2% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.6% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.3% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Buchanan County have finished high school as nationally: 90.3%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Missouri as a whole (91.8%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.1 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Buchanan County
| Period | Buchanan County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Buchanan County than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.2 points, mirroring the country. 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).
Buchanan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan County | 2.46 | 40.6 | 12.8% | 33.7% | 12.8% | 1963 | $933 | 24.8% | 90.3% | 4.1% |
| Doniphan County | 2.53 | 38.7 | 9.0% | 18.9% | 18.4% | 1964 | $756 | 21.8% | 92.2% | 1.7% |
| DeKalb County | 2.41 | 42.1 | 5.8% | 28.9% | 12.4% | 1983 | $905 | 17.8% | 90.8% | 2.3% |
| Clinton County | 2.54 | 43.5 | 8.8% | 24.3% | 9.0% | 1978 | $996 | 22.0% | 92.5% | 2.6% |
| Brown County | 2.45 | 41.8 | 8.8% | 23.7% | 15.1% | 1962 | $648 | 19.5% | 94.6% | 5.4% |
| Caldwell County | 2.33 | 42.7 | 10.6% | 21.8% | 11.1% | 1975 | $741 | 20.1% | 92.0% | 2.8% |
| Nemaha County | 2.48 | 41.3 | 8.0% | 22.0% | 10.8% | 1973 | $779 | 29.9% | 94.3% | 1.5% |
| Livingston County | 2.33 | 39.8 | 11.3% | 27.7% | 12.5% | 1967 | $791 | 16.8% | 86.7% | 2.8% |
| Linn County | 2.55 | 41.8 | 10.5% | 21.5% | 20.9% | 1965 | $600 | 18.2% | 90.3% | 3.4% |
| Marshall County | 2.34 | 44.4 | 6.9% | 20.0% | 12.0% | 1959 | $698 | 18.6% | 92.6% | 1.9% |
| Washington County | 2.29 | 42.9 | 6.1% | 21.5% | 11.5% | 1953 | $581 | 25.5% | 94.9% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Glynn County, GA · Clallam County, WA · Clearfield County, PA · St. Croix County, WI · Cole County, MO · Rockingham County, VA · Rockingham County, NC · Cullman County, AL · Putnam County, TN · Polk County, OR
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 Buchanan 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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