Cole County Demographics

A map of Cole County's Population by Race

Cole County, Missouri has an estimated population of 77,032, a less than 1% change from the 77,279 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 79.2% White, 9.7% Black, 5.1% Multiracial, 3.6% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cole County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cole has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is 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 Cole County, that probability was 35.3% in 2020 and 35.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cole County is ranked the 16th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Cole County was ranked the 16th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cole County's White Population

61,045 residents of Cole County, or 79.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cole County is slightly higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Cole County ranks 100th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cole County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Cole County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 79.2%.

Cole County is more White than neighboring Boone County (75.8% White). Cole County is less White than neighboring Miller County (93.3% White), Moniteau County (88.1% White), Osage County (96.6% White), and Callaway County (88% White).

Cole County's Black Population

7,484 residents of Cole County, or 9.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cole County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Cole County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cole County's Black population has declined by an estimated 6.9%. Black residents' share of Cole County's population has decreased from 10.4% to 9.7%.

Cole County is more Black than neighboring Miller County (1.1% Black), Moniteau County (2.2% Black), Osage County (0.3% Black), Callaway County (3.7% Black), and Boone County (9.5% Black).

Cole County's Asian Population

1,086 residents of Cole County, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cole County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Cole County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cole County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 12.5%. Asian residents' share of Cole County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.4%.

Cole County is more Asian than neighboring Miller County (0.4% Asian), Moniteau County (0.5% Asian), Osage County (0.1% Asian), and Callaway County (0.1% Asian). Cole County is less Asian than neighboring Boone County (4.8% Asian).

Cole County's Hispanic Population

2,807 residents of Cole County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cole County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Cole County ranks 26th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cole County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Cole County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.6%.

Cole County is more Hispanic than neighboring Miller County (2.2% Hispanic), Osage County (1.1% Hispanic), and Callaway County (2.5% Hispanic). Cole County is less Hispanic than neighboring Moniteau County (5.9% Hispanic), and Boone County (4.5% Hispanic).

Cole County's Native American/Other Population

687 residents of Cole County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cole County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Cole County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cole County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 28.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cole County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Cole County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Miller County (0.5% Native American/Other), Moniteau County (0.4% Native American/Other), Osage County (0.1% Native American/Other), Callaway County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Boone County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Cole County's Multiracial Population

3,923 residents of Cole County, or 5.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cole County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Cole County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cole County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 8.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Cole County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.1%.

Cole County is more Multiracial than neighboring Miller County (2.6% Multiracial), Moniteau County (2.9% Multiracial), Osage County (1.8% Multiracial), Callaway County (4.9% Multiracial), and Boone County (4.8% 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.