Population 14,539 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dent County
Household size in Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Dent County average 2.58 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Missouri as a whole, where it has 2.49 people. Household size has crept up from 2.51 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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.0 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Dent County skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.4, in line with the national trend.
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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Dent County (10.8%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, even as 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 Dent County
Renters in Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.1% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.1% of households in Dent County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over half of owners (51.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has risen 2.0 points since 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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Dent County: 17.1% of homes are empty, 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. Vacancy is up 0.8 points from 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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Dent County are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center 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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $495 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $580 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $616 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $710 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$214 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Dent County costs $710 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $214 a month since 2006–10, up 43%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 26.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Dent County
Bachelor's degrees in Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dent County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest 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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.2% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.0% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.4% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Dent County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 7.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only ten of Missouri's 115 counties 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 Dent County
| Period | Dent County | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dent County runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 5.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Dent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dent County | 2.58 | 44.5 | 10.8% | 24.1% | 17.1% | 1980 | $710 | 16.7% | 83.6% | 4.3% |
| Iron County | 2.45 | 45.4 | 11.8% | 24.9% | 18.0% | 1975 | $651 | 19.2% | 85.5% | 3.6% |
| Laclede County | 2.54 | 40.6 | 15.3% | 31.8% | 9.7% | 1983 | $890 | 16.3% | 84.9% | 5.2% |
| Madison County | 2.76 | 41.0 | 11.6% | 26.3% | 17.9% | 1975 | $812 | 16.9% | 88.0% | 4.5% |
| Dallas County | 2.63 | 40.6 | 7.8% | 24.1% | 10.8% | 1982 | $702 | 15.5% | 89.1% | 3.6% |
| Perry County | 2.51 | 42.0 | 9.0% | 23.5% | 10.2% | 1977 | $913 | 20.6% | 86.5% | 4.9% |
| Polk County | 2.60 | 39.8 | 9.6% | 28.4% | 11.1% | 1987 | $834 | 22.5% | 88.4% | 3.8% |
| Jackson County | 2.20 | 38.6 | 10.5% | 50.0% | 16.0% | 1976 | $815 | 37.0% | 92.8% | 6.8% |
| Cedar County | 2.59 | 43.2 | 6.7% | 25.9% | 16.8% | 1983 | $692 | 18.3% | 89.0% | 2.4% |
| Williamson County | 2.30 | 42.9 | 12.6% | 29.3% | 10.0% | 1982 | $922 | 26.5% | 93.0% | 5.3% |
| Saline County | 2.30 | 45.3 | 13.0% | 27.5% | 13.4% | 1971 | $842 | 21.2% | 90.1% | 6.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Patrick County, VA · Loiza Municipio, PR · Ohio County, IN · Oneida County, ID · Ontonagon County, MI · Osceola County, IA · Ottawa County, KS · Ouray County, CO · Palo Alto County, IA · Pamlico County, NC
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 Dent 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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