County · Missouri

Cole County, Missouri

Cole County, Missouri has a quality-of-life score of 87 out of 100 (very high), ranking #412 of 3,143 US counties. Within Missouri it ranks #2 of 115 counties. It ranks best on distance to an Amtrak station (low), severe housing problems (low) and rent as share of income (low). It ranks worst on public libraries (low), homicide rate (high) and firearm deaths (high).

87Very high

Quality-of-life score: #412 of 3,143 counties
Missouri: #2 of 115 in MO
Population: 77,908 (2025)
Land area: 392 mi²
Density: 199.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 29051

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 78 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety32#2,119/3,096
Economy88#376/3,143
Housing84#502/3,140
Health72#875/3,144
Healthcare88#383/3,143
Environment68#997/3,108
Education75#774/3,144
Infrastructure89#346/3,144
Community73#850/3,144
Leisure & amenities74#832/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cole County, Missouri ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an Amtrak station · low5 mi
97/100Missouri 33 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau
Severe housing problems · low7.6%
96/100Missouri 12.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Rent as share of income · low22.0%
96/100Missouri 28.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Social associations · high22.3 /10k
95/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Mammography screening · high57.0%
94/100Missouri 49.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Rent-burdened households · low34.5%
94/100Missouri 45.6%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.3 /10k
9/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library Services
Homicide rate · high5.5 /100k
20/100Missouri 7.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional data
Firearm deaths · high12.9 /100k
20/100Missouri 20.1 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Distance to an airport · high100 mi
25/100Missouri 40 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau
Time spent in the emergency room · high168 min
27/100Missouri 161 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Job growth · low-1.6%
28/100Missouri 0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 27% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+27 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateWorsening
2.8 /100k (2021) → 5.5 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+96%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.3% (2015-2019) → 89.5% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Voter turnoutWorsening
85.2% (2020) → 69.0% (2024)
−16 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
New business applicationsImproving
8.4 /1k (2020) → 13.6 /1k (2025)
+63%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
17.5% (Dec 2021) → 29.7% (Aug 2026)
+12 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cole County, Missouri improved on 10 of 33 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 20 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Broadband+18 points71.3% → 89.5%
Uninsured−3.4 points10.4% → 7.0%
Bachelor's++5.6 points33.3% → 38.9%
Real income+39%$52,818 → $73,423
Weekly wage+29%$884 → $1,144

Declined1

Price / income+0.4×2.7× → 3.1×

All 33 measures

Change of every measure of Cole County, Missouri between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.6 /10k2020	3.6 /10k2025	+38%	Within the margin of error	86%
Average commute time	18.1 min2015-2019	17.9 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	63%
Average weekly wage	$8842020	$1,1442025	+29%	Improved	82%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.3%2015-2019	38.9%2020-2024	+5.6 points	Improved	88%
Broadband subscriptions	71.3%2015-2019	89.5%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	90%
Child poverty rate	13.7%2019	11.5%2024	−2.2 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Distance to an airport	100 mi2020	100 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.4 /100k2020	9.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−32%	Within the margin of error	55%
Effective property tax rate	0.84%2015-2019	0.73%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	49%
Firearm deaths	12.6 /100k2020	12.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.4%	Within the margin of error	45%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+7.3%	Within the margin of error	75%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−8.7%	Within the margin of error	28%
High school diploma or higher	92.3%2015-2019	94.2%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	52%
Homicide rate	6.6 /100k2020	5.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−17%	Within the margin of error	37%
Income adjusted for local prices	$52,8182019	$73,4232024	+39%	Improved	83%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4162015-2019	0.4242020-2024	+0.008	Within the margin of error	39%
Median household income	$61,8472019	$75,8812024	+23%	Improved	38%
New business applications	8.4 /1k2020	13.6 /1k2025	+63%	Improved	71%
Pharmacies	1.8 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−1.7%	Within the margin of error	61%
Poverty rate	10.6%2019	9.6%2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Property crime rate	1,625 /100k2020	1,132 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	41%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−1.3%	Within the margin of error	48%
Public transit commuters	0.5%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Rent as share of income	23.0%2015-2019	22.0%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Rent-burdened households	33.5%2015-2019	34.5%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Restaurants and bars	9.1 /10k2020	10.4 /10k2025	+14%	Within the margin of error	78%
Students per teacher	11.7×2019	10.8×2024	−0.9×	Improved	59%
Suicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	12.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−14%	Within the margin of error	80%
Traffic deaths	9.1 /100k2015-2019	8.6 /100k2020-2024	−6.1%	Within the margin of error	63%
Unemployment rate	4.5%2020	3.2%2025	−1.3 points	Improved	19%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.4%2019	7.0%2024	−3.4 points	Improved	87%
Violent crime rate	215 /100k2020	238 /100k2025	+11%	Within the margin of error	24%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Counties like Cole County, Missouri five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cole County, Missouri in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cole County, Missouri itself moved +5.1 points in standing on average over the same 32 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

77,032 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−0.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

77,032 residents

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

White79%61,045
Black9.7%7,484
Hispanic or Latino3.6%2,807
Asian1.4%1,086
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†182
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%†8
Other or two or more races5.7%4,420

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+3.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

53,203 residents (±120)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

No high school diploma5.8%3,073
High school or GED29%15,560
Some college18%9,592
Associate degree8.0%4,276
Bachelor's degree25%13,180
Graduate degree14%7,522

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (−3.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

31,086 households (±329)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $25k14%4,435
$25k–50k17%5,380
$50k–75k19%5,764
$75k–100k13%4,000
$100k–150k20%6,147
$150k–200k9.1%2,827
$200k or more8.1%2,533

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+5.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

31,086 households (±329)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Own68%21,098
Rent32%9,988

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

9,465 households (±619)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $75040%3,752
$750–1,00032%3,073
$1,000–1,50022%2,100

Home values

21,098 homes (±596)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $150k21%4,448
$150k–250k36%7,655
$250k–400k27%5,619

Age of homes

33,533 homes (±49)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

2010 or later8.5%2,847
2000–200914%4,765
1980–199930%10,127

Size of homes

33,533 homes (±49)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Studio0.9%†317
1 bedroom8.4%2,818
2 bedrooms22%7,303

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

37,931 workers (±714)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Drive alone78%29,596
Carpool8.7%3,298
Public transit0.5%†179
Walk1.3%†499
Bike0.1%†40
Work from home9.2%3,496
Other2.2%†823

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−8.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

34,435 workers (±761)

Cole County, Missouri
Missouri share

Under 15 min43%14,798
15–29 min40%13,771
30–44 min11%3,788

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Jefferson City, MO

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Cole County has 2,224 employer establishments, 288 for every 10,000 residents (1.16× the US rate of 248; 1.18× Missouri's), with 37,060 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,813. The Census Bureau also counts 5,757 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,224; 5,757 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 288; US 248 · Missouri 244
Paid employees: 37,060
Average annual pay: $52,813; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cole County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	173	22.4	1.45×More than typical	2,006	$69,306	386
Restaurants and other eating places	148	19.1	1.04×About typical	3,184	$20,015	32
Ambulatory health care services	143	18.5	0.89×About typical	2,391	$67,950	178
Building equipment contractors	74	9.6	1.59×More than typical	1,254	$71,775	43
Services to buildings and dwellings	71	9.2	1.36×More than typical	650	$36,715	380
Limited-service restaurants	68	8.8	1.10×About typical	1,683	$18,033	17
Religious organizations	68	8.8	1.59×More than typical	730	$26,267	—
Construction of buildings	66	8.5	1.13×About typical	431	$57,401	189
Full-service restaurants	65	8.4	1.09×About typical	1,334	$23,134	8
Lessors of real estate	61	7.9	0.64×Fewer than typical	155	$48,006	740
Legal services	56	7.2	1.35×More than typical	358	$77,064	42
Banks and credit unions	51	6.6	2.04×More than typical	1,589	$69,107	—

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 77,295 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $6.3M on contracts performed in Cole County, Missouri: $81.49 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $6.3M; −20% vs FY2025
Per resident: $81.49; US $1,994
Sole-source: 53%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.3%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Public Buildings Service$1.5M24%
Department of the Army$1.4M

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $503.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cole County, Missouri: $6,466 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $503.8M; −8.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,466; US $12,955
Loan face value: $173.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$316.2M63%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$54.1M11%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$39.8M7.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$24.5M4.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$16.6M3.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$6.2M1.2%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$6.1M1.2%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$5.6M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY$14.3M2.8%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$10.2M2.0%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
MISSOURI PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION$4.2M0.8%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF JEFFERSON$3.9M0.8%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
MISSOURI COALITION FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$397.1M79%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$60.3M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$10.7M2.1%
Federal Highway Administration$10.2M2.0%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board$5.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

476.5MFY2021
473.8MFY2022
503.7MFY2023
493.4MFY2024
549.6MFY2025
503.8MFY2026

County aggregates

92%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Cole County, Missouri

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Cole County, Missouri compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Cole County, Missouri
United States
Year its money jumped
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2017	$114	$1,436
FY2018	$124	$1,552
FY2019	$106	$1,654
FY2020	$345	$1,880
FY2021	$108	$1,810
FY2022	$68.65	$1,917
FY2023	$80.71	$2,079
FY2024	$126	$2,047
FY2025	$101	$2,165
FY2026	$81.49 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2017	$8.64	$93.28
FY2018	$12.21	$105
FY2019	$21.95	$128
FY2020	$212	$145
FY2021	$63.06	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2021	$1,094	$5,748
FY2022	$835	$5,221
FY2023	$1,004	$5,364
FY2024	$669	$5,501
FY2025	$778	$5,732
FY2026	$430

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2021	$273	$298
FY2022	$443	$357
FY2023	$306	$301
FY2024	$241	$319
FY2025	$390	$360
FY2026	$131

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2021	$90.96	$239
FY2022	$82.14	$185
FY2023	$108	$229
FY2024	$82.88	$229
FY2025	$95.02	$249
FY2026	$90.93

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2021	$10.92	$2,304
FY2022	$1.56	$2,197
FY2023	$0	$2,274
FY2024	$122	$2,267
FY2025	$117	$2,397
FY2026	$23.42

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cole County, Missouri	United States
FY2021	$1,028	$1,186
FY2022	$303	$465
FY2023	$41.06	$76.52
FY2024	$20.58	$120
FY2025	$28.76	$148
FY2026	$82.38

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Cole County, Missouri
United States
Years with money loaded
Year its money jumped

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Cole County, Missouri and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	0.2%	2.0%

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

HHS grants · FY2024

$122 per resident in FY2024, against an earlier average of $4.16 (29× that).

Compared with 5 similar counties

Cole County, Missouri
Comparison counties (average)
Range of comparison counties

Uninsured residents (under 65): change since 2023points

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/29051

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Cole County, Missouri is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Robert F. Onder, Jr.R-MO-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 3.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Cole County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Jefferson City, MO76Central county

Cities and towns in Cole County

Places whose residents live mostly in Cole County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/29051

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	−3.7%	−5.5%
2015	−1.7%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.5%	+4.1%
2018	+4.9%	+8.9%
2019	+11.6%	+13.5%
2020	+21.2%	+20.8%
2021	+28.0%	+32.1%
2022	+32.2%	+35.4%
2023	+41.5%	+42.9%
2024	+49.8%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	2.5/1k	3.3/1k
2015	2.4/1k	3.7/1k
2016	2.8/1k	3.7/1k
2017	2.5/1k	3.9/1k
2018	2.2/1k	4.1/1k
2019	2.6/1k	4.2/1k
2020	2.4/1k	4.4/1k
2021	2.5/1k	5.2/1k
2022	1.9/1k	5.0/1k
2023	2.1/1k	4.5/1k
2024	2.2/1k	4.3/1k
2025	2.0/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	−7.0%	−6.9%
2015	+1.1%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	−0.8%	+4.7%
2018	+12.6%	+7.5%
2019	+10.9%	+14.0%
2020	+13.8%	+16.9%
2021	+14.7%	+21.0%
2022	+27.0%	+29.7%
2023	+32.7%	+34.9%
2024	+36.1%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	−6.3% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−2.2% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+4.0% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+9.3% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+11.3% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+23.9% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+42.4% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+59.1% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+67.2% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+77.6% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+88.1% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	5.5/1k	8.5/1k
2015	5.3/1k	8.7/1k
2016	6.2/1k	9.1/1k
2017	11.7/1k	9.8/1k
2018	17.0/1k	10.7/1k
2019	9.7/1k	10.6/1k
2020	8.4/1k	13.1/1k
2021	10.9/1k	16.2/1k
2022	9.6/1k	15.1/1k
2023	11.3/1k	16.2/1k
2024	11.2/1k	15.4/1k
2025	13.6/1k	16.6/1k

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	−3.2%	−4.2%
2015	−1.3%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.4%	+3.3%
2018	+4.3%	+6.8%
2019	+6.8%	+10.5%
2020	+13.9%	+19.4%
2021	+17.3%	+26.1%
2022	+23.6%	+30.6%
2023	+32.2%	+35.0%
2024	+38.7%	+41.0%
2025	+47.4%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	5.1%	6.2%
2015	4.1%	5.3%
2016	3.6%	4.9%
2017	3.0%	4.4%
2018	2.6%	3.9%
2019	2.6%	3.7%
2020	4.5%	8.1%
2021	3.0%	5.4%
2022	2.1%	3.7%
2023	2.6%	3.6%
2024	3.1%	4.0%
2025	3.2%	4.3%

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	13.3%	15.5%
2015	11.9%	14.7%
2016	10.9%	14.0%
2017	11.7%	13.4%
2018	8.9%	13.1%
2019	10.6%	12.3%
2020	9.3%	11.9%
2021	11.6%	12.8%
2022	9.8%	12.6%
2023	9.4%	12.5%
2024	9.6%	12.1%

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2015	—	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	—	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	—	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	—	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	—	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	—	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	—	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	—	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	— (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	— (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	— (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Cole County, Missouri	United States
2014	11.9%	13.5%
2015	9.8%	10.9%
2016	9.1%	10.0%
2017	10.1%	10.2%
2018	9.9%	10.4%
2019	10.4%	10.8%
2020	10.4%	10.4%
2021	10.4%	10.2%
2022	9.0%	9.5%
2023	7.9%	9.5%
2024	7.0%	9.8%

Year	Cole County, Missouri	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	+2.5 points	+2.4 points	+2.2 points to +3.3 points
Year −2	+1.1 points	+1.0 points	+0.4 points to +1.7 points
Year −1	0.0 points	0.0 points	0.0 points to 0.0 points
Year 0	−0.9 points	−0.7 points	−0.9 points to −0.4 points

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined1

Counties like Cole County, Missouri five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 5 similar counties

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Cole County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined1

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 5 similar counties

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

By type

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards