Population 23,145 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ray County
Household size in Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.57 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.59 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.55 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.02 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Ray County run a little small, averaging 2.57 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across the Kansas City area. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 37.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 37.9 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 38.8 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.3 | 39.2 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +1.7 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Ray County is 42.3 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.0, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the southeast, 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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 11.9% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Ray County as they are nationally: 10.8%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.1 points, 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 Ray County
Renters in Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 31.2% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.8% | 33.7% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 34.9% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 34.2% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +3.0 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Ray County is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 40.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share has edged up 1.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 9.7% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 9.0% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 7.5% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Ray County is close to the national rate: 8.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Ray County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of 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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1976 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1977 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1977 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Ray County run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $713 | $897 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $747 | $980 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $770 | $1,095 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $867 | $1,395 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$154 | +$498 | +$383 | +$606 |
Rent in Ray County runs $867 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $154 a month since 2006–10, up 22%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are 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 Ray County
Bachelor's degrees in Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 33.5% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 34.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 37.1% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 39.7% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +6.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ray County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.2% | 90.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.6% | 90.9% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.1% | 91.8% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.0% | 92.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +2.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ray County is close to the national rate: 90.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Kansas City area (92.9%). The share with a diploma is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, 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 Ray County
| Period | Ray County | Kansas City area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 7.6% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 4.0% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.9 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Ray County than nationally: unemployment was 3.8%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.9 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).
Ray 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray County | 2.57 | 42.3 | 10.8% | 22.7% | 8.8% | 1973 | $867 | 16.3% | 90.0% | 3.8% |
| Clay County | 2.59 | 38.7 | 11.2% | 30.5% | 6.1% | 1987 | $1,396 | 37.5% | 94.1% | 3.7% |
| Carroll County | 2.38 | 43.6 | 11.6% | 28.1% | 21.2% | 1962 | $752 | 20.3% | 90.1% | 4.8% |
| Platte County | 2.56 | 39.8 | 10.3% | 32.6% | 6.8% | 1990 | $1,409 | 47.3% | 96.5% | 2.7% |
| Leavenworth County | 2.72 | 39.5 | 9.5% | 30.7% | 6.5% | 1982 | $1,375 | 37.5% | 94.3% | 4.4% |
| Chariton County | 2.68 | 45.2 | 6.7% | 16.5% | 27.5% | 1968 | $600 | 22.7% | 92.3% | 3.6% |
| Jefferson County | 2.46 | 44.0 | 5.5% | 14.3% | 7.8% | 1979 | $946 | 24.5% | 94.2% | 2.5% |
| Randolph County | 2.51 | 39.5 | 12.9% | 28.6% | 14.8% | 1973 | $791 | 17.9% | 89.7% | 4.6% |
| Jackson County | 2.67 | 42.3 | 5.2% | 22.9% | 11.7% | 1975 | $865 | 22.7% | 93.5% | 1.6% |
| Audrain County | 2.65 | 40.2 | 8.9% | 28.2% | 13.0% | 1970 | $718 | 18.0% | 88.1% | 4.4% |
| Pottawatomie County | 2.77 | 37.3 | 5.4% | 17.8% | 8.5% | 1984 | $1,157 | 39.3% | 96.6% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Boone County, WV · West Feliciana Parish, LA · Wayne County, TN · Wayne County, IL · Waushara County, WI · Washington County, MO · Brooke County, WV · Bremer County, IA · Breckinridge County, KY · Breathitt County, KY
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 Ray 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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