Population 5,297 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carter County
Household size in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Carter County average 2.59 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Missouri overall, where it has 2.49 people. Household size has climbed from 2.48 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.1 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.9 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Carter County are younger than 40.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 43.2, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the north.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.4% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in six households in Carter County (18.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 9.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only one other Missouri county has a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Carter County
Renters in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.3% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +16.5 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Carter County rent their homes (39.3%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Just over half of owners (52.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 16.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Missouri counties have a higher share of renters: only five of 115.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.2% of the housing in Carter 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. Carter County has a higher vacancy rate than at least four in five Missouri counties.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Carter County is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $326 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $474 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $633 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $575 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$248 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Carter County costs $575 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $248 a month from 2006–10, a 76% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 29.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the northwest.
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 Carter County
Bachelor's degrees in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.7% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Carter County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 10.1%, against 35.6% nationally. Carter County has the lowest share of college graduates of any Missouri county.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.6% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.3% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.3% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Carter County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.5 points, mirroring the country. Of Missouri's 115 counties, only four have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Carter County than nationally: unemployment was 3.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.4 points since 2006–10, 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).
Carter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 2.59 | 40.9 | 18.4% | 39.3% | 22.2% | 1984 | $575 | 10.1% | 81.2% | 3.5% |
| Shannon County | 2.48 | 46.0 | 9.9% | 20.1% | 16.7% | 1980 | $521 | 12.9% | 84.3% | 1.5% |
| Stoddard County | 2.49 | 41.9 | 9.3% | 28.2% | 12.9% | 1976 | $802 | 18.3% | 84.5% | 3.6% |
| Scott County | 2.53 | 39.6 | 15.4% | 28.9% | 9.0% | 1975 | $898 | 21.4% | 87.1% | 3.0% |
| Mississippi County | 2.36 | 40.6 | 13.3% | 37.1% | 14.8% | 1972 | $761 | 15.0% | 84.0% | 3.5% |
| Douglas County | 2.61 | 44.1 | 7.2% | 19.4% | 11.7% | 1987 | $871 | 14.7% | 87.1% | 5.7% |
| Ballard County | 2.37 | 43.9 | 8.2% | 24.0% | 12.8% | 1982 | $789 | 18.4% | 93.7% | 1.5% |
| Carlisle County | 2.54 | 40.7 | 10.0% | 19.6% | 18.6% | 1980 | $754 | 15.2% | 92.2% | 4.0% |
| McCracken County | 2.44 | 43.2 | 10.2% | 31.1% | 14.8% | 1977 | $974 | 28.0% | 93.5% | 3.4% |
| Christian County | 2.65 | 39.2 | 9.0% | 24.1% | 5.2% | 1998 | $1,093 | 33.1% | 93.9% | 3.4% |
| Marshall County | 2.37 | 45.3 | 9.7% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 1983 | $836 | 21.5% | 91.1% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: St. Clair County, MO · Goshen County, WY · Sioux County, NE · Golden Valley County, ND · Golden Valley County, MT · Sitka City and Borough, AK · Glascock County, GA · Glacier County, MT · Gilpin County, CO · Smith County, KS
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 Carter 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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