Vernon County Demographics

A map of Vernon County's Population by Race

Vernon County, Missouri has an estimated population of 19,687, a less than 1% change from the 19,707 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.6% White, 2.8% Multiracial, 2.7% Hispanic, 0.9% Black, 0.8% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Vernon County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Vernon 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 Vernon County, that probability was 16.6% in 2020 and 14.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Vernon County is ranked the 56th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Vernon County was ranked the 55th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Vernon County's White Population

18,236 residents of Vernon County, or 92.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Vernon County is significantly higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Vernon County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vernon County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. White residents' share of Vernon County's population has increased from 91.2% to 92.6%.

Vernon County is more White than neighboring Barton County (89.9% White), Bates County (91.7% White), Cedar County (92.1% White), and Bourbon County (88.8% White). Vernon County is less White than neighboring St. Clair County (92.8% White).

Vernon County's Black Population

177 residents of Vernon County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Vernon County is lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Vernon County ranks 73rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vernon County's Black population has grown by an estimated 60.9%. Black residents' share of Vernon County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Vernon County is more Black than neighboring Barton County (0.2% Black), Cedar County (0.5% Black), and St. Clair County (0.8% Black). Vernon County is less Black than neighboring Bates County (2.1% Black), and Bourbon County (1.7% Black).

Vernon County's Asian Population

155 residents of Vernon County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Vernon County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Vernon County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vernon County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 50.5%. Asian residents' share of Vernon County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Vernon County is more Asian than neighboring Barton County (0.4% Asian), Bates County (0.4% Asian), Cedar County (0% Asian), and St. Clair County (0.2% Asian).

Vernon County's Hispanic Population

533 residents of Vernon County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Vernon County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Vernon County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vernon County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 25.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Vernon County's population has increased from 2.2% to 2.7%.

Vernon County is more Hispanic than neighboring Bates County (2.6% Hispanic), Cedar County (2.2% Hispanic), and St. Clair County (2.2% Hispanic). Vernon County is less Hispanic than neighboring Barton County (3.1% Hispanic), and Bourbon County (3.1% Hispanic).

Vernon County's Native American/Other Population

30 residents of Vernon County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Vernon County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Vernon County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vernon County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 85.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Vernon County's population has decreased from 1.0% to 0.2%.

Vernon County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Barton County (1.5% Native American/Other), Bates County (0.3% Native American/Other), Cedar County (1.1% Native American/Other), and Bourbon County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Vernon County's Multiracial Population

556 residents of Vernon County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Vernon County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Vernon County ranks 57th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Vernon County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 38.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Vernon County's population has decreased from 4.6% to 2.8%.

Vernon County is less Multiracial than neighboring Barton County (4.9% Multiracial), Bates County (2.9% Multiracial), Cedar County (4% Multiracial), Bourbon County (5.2% Multiracial), and St. Clair County (3.8% 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.