How many people live in Adair County, MO?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 25,700 people living in Adair County, MO. That makes Adair County the 43rd-most populous county in Missouri. It is home to 0.41% of people living in the state.
25.7K
population of Adair County, MO (2024)
0.41%
County share of the Missouri population (2024)
About 25,700 people lived in Adair County, MO in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Adair County, MO’s age demographics?
About 4,100 Adair County, MO residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 15.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.8% of Missouri’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 4,700 Adair County residents, or 18.4% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22% of Missouri’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Adair County, MO's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Adair County, MO’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 86.5% of the Adair County, MO population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Adair County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 4.8% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Adair County, MO has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Missouri as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Adair County, MO is Kirksville with about 17,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Adair County, MO ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kirksville | 17,841 |
| 2. | Novinger | 384 |
| 3. | Brashear | 241 |
| 4. | Greentop (pt.) | 87 |
| 5. | Millard | 81 |
| 6. | Gibbs | 76 |
| 7. | Balance of Adair County | 6,950 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
