Population Data Series | Missouri Economic Research and Information Center

The Missouri Office of Administration recently released new population projections for Missouri and its counties.

State Highlights

(Source: Missouri Office of Administration, Budget and Planning)

Missouri's population is expected to approach 6.8 million people in 2030, a growth of roughly 1.2 million people from the year 2000, which will represent a 21% increase in the state's population.
Missouri's rank among the nation's most populous states has been on the decline since the turn of the century, when Missouri ranked fifth in the nation. Missouri's standing fell two positions during the decade of the 1990s dropping from the fifteenth spot in 1990 to seventeenth by 2000. Missouri's projected growth rate of approximately 6% per decade is slower than the nation's projected rate of 10% per decade.
By 2030, persons over age 65 will represent more than one-fifth of all Missourians. Senior citizens are expected to increase 87% between 2000 and 2030 when there are projected to be 1.4 million seniors.
The number of children under the age of 18 in Missouri is expected to increase but not as rapidly as persons 18 and over. Between 2000 and 2030, Missouri children are expected to increase by roughly 7% while the 18 and over population will increase by nearly 25%.
Natural change (births minus deaths) will continue to add the largest number of people to Missouri's population. Natural change is expected to add an average of 244,000 Missourians per decade. Moreover, net migration (those migrating in compared to those migrating out) is expected to further increase Missouri's population by 139,000 persons every ten years.

The populations of Christian and Lincoln counties are projected to grow the fastest in the state, more than doubling between 2000 and 2030.
The largest numeric change in population is projected to be in St. Charles, Clay, and Greene counties.
Thirty-nine of the state’s counties are projected to have a decline in population from 2000 to 2030.
The top five most populous counties in the state in 2000 were St. Louis, Jackson, St. Louis City, St. Charles, and Greene.
Those counties are projected to remain the largest in the state in 2030, with St. Charles County gaining one spot over St. Louis City.

_{Source: Missouri Office of Administration, Division of Budget and Planning}