Bates County Demographics

A map of Bates County's Population by Race

Bates County, Missouri has an estimated population of 16,186, a less than 1% change from the 16,042 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 91.7% White, 2.9% Multiracial, 2.6% Hispanic, 2.1% Black, 0.4% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Bates County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Bates has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Missouri overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Bates County, that probability was 14.7% in 2020 and 15.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Bates County is ranked the 64th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Bates County was ranked the 65th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Bates County's White Population

14,845 residents of Bates County, or 91.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Bates County is significantly higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Bates County ranks 38th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bates County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Bates County's population has decreased from 92.3% to 91.7%.

Bates County is more White than neighboring Cass County (83.6% White), Linn County (91% White), Henry County (91.3% White), and Miami County (89.9% White). Bates County is less White than neighboring Vernon County (92.6% White).

Bates County's Black Population

346 residents of Bates County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Bates County is lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Bates County ranks 57th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bates County's Black population has grown by an estimated 123.2%. Black residents' share of Bates County's population has increased from 1.0% to 2.1%.

Bates County is more Black than neighboring Vernon County (0.9% Black), Linn County (1.4% Black), Henry County (0.8% Black), and Miami County (1.2% Black). Bates County is less Black than neighboring Cass County (4.6% Black).

Bates County's Asian Population

65 residents of Bates County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Bates County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Bates County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bates County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 35.4%. Asian residents' share of Bates County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Bates County is more Asian than neighboring Linn County (0.2% Asian), Henry County (0.2% Asian), and Miami County (0.1% Asian). Bates County is less Asian than neighboring Cass County (0.8% Asian), and Vernon County (0.8% Asian).

Bates County's Hispanic Population

416 residents of Bates County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Bates County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Bates County ranks 60th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bates County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 24.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Bates County's population has increased from 2.1% to 2.6%.

Bates County is less Hispanic than neighboring Cass County (5.5% Hispanic), Vernon County (2.7% Hispanic), Linn County (3.1% Hispanic), Henry County (3% Hispanic), and Miami County (4.1% Hispanic).

Bates County's Native American/Other Population

43 residents of Bates County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Bates County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Bates County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bates County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 64.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Bates County's population has decreased from 0.8% to 0.3%.

Bates County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Vernon County (0.2% Native American/Other), Henry County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Miami County (0.2% Native American/Other). Bates County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Cass County (1.1% Native American/Other), and Linn County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Bates County's Multiracial Population

471 residents of Bates County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Bates County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Bates County ranks 87th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bates County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 19.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Bates County's population has decreased from 3.6% to 2.9%.

Bates County is more Multiracial than neighboring Vernon County (2.8% Multiracial). Bates County is less Multiracial than neighboring Cass County (4.4% Multiracial), Linn County (3.6% Multiracial), Henry County (4.5% Multiracial), and Miami County (4.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.