Ray County Demographics

A map of Ray County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	21,333	20,893	92.2%	90.2%
Multiracial	691	1,188	3.0%	5.1%
Hispanic	667	580	2.9%	2.5%
Native American/Other	196	194	0.8%	0.8%
Black	182	227	0.8%	1.0%
Asian	76	76	0.3%	0.3%

Ray County, Missouri has an estimated population of 23,145, a less than 1% change from the 23,158 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.2% White, 3.0% Multiracial, 2.9% Hispanic, 0.8% Black, 0.8% Native American/Other, and 0.3% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ray County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ray has become less 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 Ray County, that probability was 18.3% in 2020 and 14.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ray County is ranked the 49th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Ray County was ranked the 49th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Ray County's White Population

21,333 residents of Ray County, or 92.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ray County is significantly higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Ray County ranks 65th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ray County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.1%. White residents' share of Ray County's population has increased from 90.2% to 92.2%.

Ray County is more White than neighboring Caldwell County (92% White), Lafayette County (89.7% White), Clay County (77% White), and Clinton County (91.9% White). Ray County is less White than neighboring Carroll County (93.3% White).

Ray County's Black Population

182 residents of Ray County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ray County is considerably lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Ray County ranks 56th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ray County's Black population has declined by an estimated 19.8%. Black residents' share of Ray County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Ray County is less Black than neighboring Caldwell County (1.2% Black), Lafayette County (1.6% Black), Clay County (6.8% Black), and Carroll County (1.5% Black).

Ray County's Asian Population

76 residents of Ray County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ray County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Ray County ranks 66th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ray County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Ray County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Ray County is more Asian than neighboring Clinton County (0.2% Asian), and Carroll County (0.2% Asian). Ray County is less Asian than neighboring Caldwell County (0.4% Asian), Lafayette County (0.4% Asian), and Clay County (2.6% Asian).

Ray County's Hispanic Population

667 residents of Ray County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Ray County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Ray County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ray County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 15.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Ray County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.9%.

Ray County is more Hispanic than neighboring Caldwell County (2.3% Hispanic), Clinton County (2.6% Hispanic), and Carroll County (2.2% Hispanic). Ray County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lafayette County (3.5% Hispanic), and Clay County (8% Hispanic).

Ray County's Native American/Other Population

196 residents of Ray County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Ray County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Ray County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ray County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 1.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ray County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Ray County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clinton County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Carroll County (0% Native American/Other).

Ray County's Multiracial Population

691 residents of Ray County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ray County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Ray County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ray County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 41.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Ray County's population has decreased from 5.1% to 3.0%.

Ray County is more Multiracial than neighboring Carroll County (2.8% Multiracial). Ray County is less Multiracial than neighboring Caldwell County (3.3% Multiracial), Lafayette County (4% Multiracial), Clay County (4.8% Multiracial), and Clinton County (4.2% 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.