• county
  • FIPS 29217
  • Largest town: Nevada

Vernon County, Missouri

Vernon County had 19,787 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 826.4 square miles of land. It ranks 56th of 115 in Missouri by population and 9th by land area.

Population
19,787
#56 of 115 in Missouri · #1,841 in US
Area
826.4 sq mi
#9 of 115 in Missouri · #1,024 in US
Density
24 / sq mi
#68 of 115 in Missouri · #2,092 in US
Median household income
$53,602
#78 of 115 in Missouri · #2,440 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Vernon County within Missouri. Pin: Jefferson City.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Vernon County

Vernon County population, land area and income

Vernon County had 19,787 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 826.4 square miles of land. It ranks 56th of 115 in Missouri by population and 9th by land area. That works out to 23.9 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Missouri has 19,100 residents, about the same as Vernon County.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $53,602 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

19,787

3144th1st

1841st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

826 sq mi

3144th1st

1024th of 3,144 (US)

Density

23.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

2092nd of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$53,602

3143rd1st

2440th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Missouri (115)

Population

19,787

115th1st

56th of 115 (MO)

Land area

826 sq mi

115th1st

9th of 115 (MO)

Density

23.9 / sq mi

115th1st

68th of 115 (MO)

Median household income

$53,602

115th1st

78th of 115 (MO)

How Vernon County's population changed since 2020

Vernon County gained 112 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.6%. That ranks 69th of 115 in Missouri for growth. The median Missouri county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.5%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Vernon County recorded 1,000 births and 1,322 deaths, a natural change of -322. Net international migration added +155 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +245. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 322 people.

19.7k202019.6k202119.6k202219.8k202319.8k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,000
Deaths
1,322
Net international migration
+155
Net domestic migration
+245
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+19

Where Vernon County is

The Census internal point of Vernon County is at 37.850200, -94.341600. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Missouri's 115 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Vernon County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Pettis County: +1.8%Henry County: +2.7%Texas County: +5.7%Madison County: +1.8%St. Louis city: -6.9%Cole County: +1.3%Washington County: +0.6%Macon County: -0.1%Barton County: +0.8%Grundy County: +0.1%Cedar County: +5.7%Randolph County: -1.6%Ray County: +0.3%Caldwell County: +2.0%Benton County: +6.1%Douglas County: +5.9%Shannon County: +3.4%Dade County: +0.5%Wright County: +7.1%Gentry County: +2.6%Lawrence County: +3.0%Cooper County: +2.9%Hickory County: +5.6%Moniteau County: +0.5%Dent County: +2.3%Monroe County: +2.3%Maries County: +0.7%Bollinger County: +0.5%Clinton County: +2.4%Knox County: +0.0%Webster County: +7.8%Harrison County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.1%Adair County: +1.5%Warren County: +7.7%Daviess County: +1.3%Audrain County: -1.9%Howard County: -0.1%Linn County: +0.4%Saline County: -0.1%Miller County: +3.6%Dallas County: +4.3%Morgan County: +6.7%New Madrid County: -6.8%Newton County: +4.8%Oregon County: +1.0%Franklin County: +2.3%Greene County: +2.9%Ralls County: +1.4%Lafayette County: +1.4%Livingston County: +4.8%McDonald County: +3.3%Barry County: +3.1%Cape Girardeau County: +2.2%Carroll County: -0.6%Christian County: +7.6%Vernon County: +0.6%Carter County: +3.0%Andrew County: -0.1%Jasper County: +2.9%Worth County: -4.9%Lincoln County: +10.1%Marion County: -0.2%Holt County: +1.2%Howell County: +2.4%St. Francois County: +1.6%Chariton County: +0.1%Butler County: -0.6%Iron County: -1.0%Perry County: +0.7%Cass County: +5.3%St. Louis County: -1.0%Dunklin County: -4.3%Wayne County: -1.1%Ozark County: +6.7%Laclede County: +1.9%Reynolds County: -2.5%Lewis County: -1.9%Taney County: +1.2%Ripley County: +0.4%Ste. Genevieve County: +0.4%Scotland County: -0.1%Putnam County: -3.1%Schuyler County: +1.5%Shelby County: -2.8%Boone County: +4.4%Mercer County: -1.7%Platte County: +5.6%Camden County: +3.1%Bates County: +2.1%Johnson County: +3.4%Sullivan County: -3.8%Atchison County: -3.1%Scott County: -0.2%Montgomery County: +2.0%Jefferson County: +2.2%Clark County: -0.5%Callaway County: +1.8%St. Clair County: +5.4%Buchanan County: -1.1%Pemiscot County: -7.6%Polk County: +4.6%Phelps County: +2.5%Stone County: +4.6%Osage County: +1.7%Clay County: +3.6%Nodaway County: -2.4%Crawford County: -1.0%Jackson County: +1.4%St. Charles County: +4.3%Mississippi County: -3.1%Pike County: +3.1%Stoddard County: -0.7%Gasconade County: -0.7%DeKalb County: -14.8%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -0.7%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +2.0%
  4. < +3.6%
  5. ≥ +3.6%
no data

Orange pin: Vernon County internal point. Dark pin: Jefferson City.

Internal point

Decimal
37.850200, -94.341600
DMS
37°51'0.72"N 94°20'29.76"W
UTM
15N 381969.2E 4190042.6N
Geohash
9yszm4qt3
Plus code
8697VM25+39

Towns in Vernon County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Vernon County, 8,294 people together, or 42% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Vernon County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Nevada with 8,294.

  1. 01Nevada8,294
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Vernon County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Vernon County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Crawford County, KS, with 38,904 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Jefferson City and the nearest big city

Jefferson City is 128.0 miles ENE of Vernon County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Springfield, MO (population 170,596), 73.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Pittsburg, KS (population 20,547), 35.9 miles away.

Vernon County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Vernon County is 29217: state code 29 for Missouri plus county code 217. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $53,602.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Vernon County, Missouri?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 19,787. That is up 112 people (0.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 19,675.

What is the FIPS code of Vernon County?

29217. The first two digits (29) are Missouri; the last three (217) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Vernon County?

Nevada, with 8,294 residents inside Vernon County in 2024.

Which counties border Vernon County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Crawford County, KS; Bates County, MO; Cedar County, MO; Bourbon County, KS; Barton County, MO; St. Clair County, MO; Linn County, KS.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.