How many people live in Cole County, MO?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 77,600 people living in Cole County, MO. That makes Cole County the 16th-most populous county in Missouri. It is home to 1.2% of people living in the state.
77.6K
population of Cole County, MO (2024)
1.2%
County share of the Missouri population (2024)
About 77,600 people lived in Cole County, MO in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Cole County, MO’s age demographics?
About 14,900 Cole County, MO residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 19.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.8% of Missouri’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 16,700 Cole County residents, or 21.6% 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 Cole County, MO's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Cole County, MO’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 80.3% of the Cole County, MO population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Cole County’s Hispanic population accounts for 3.8%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1.6% of the county, compared with 6.5% 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.
Cole 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 Cole County, MO is Jefferson City with about 42,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Cole County, MO ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jefferson City (pt.) | 42,550 |
| 2. | Wardsville | 1,661 |
| 3. | St. Martins | 1,226 |
| 4. | Taos | 1,175 |
| 5. | Russellville | 798 |
| 6. | Centertown | 292 |
| 7. | St. Thomas | 226 |
| 8. | Lohman | 177 |
| 9. | Balance of Cole County | 29,520 |
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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.
