How many people live in Howell County, MO?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 40,800 people living in Howell County, MO. That makes Howell County the 29th-most populous county in Missouri. It is home to 0.65% of people living in the state.
40.8K
population of Howell County, MO (2024)
0.65%
County share of the Missouri population (2024)
About 40,800 people lived in Howell County, MO in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Howell County, MO’s age demographics?
About 8,200 Howell County, MO residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 20.1% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.8% of Missouri’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 9,700 Howell County residents, or 23.7% 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 lower share of Howell County, MO's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Howell County, MO’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 93% of the Howell County, MO population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Howell County, MO also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (0.76%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Howell County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.9%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.71% 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.
Howell 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 Howell County, MO is West Plains with about 12,700 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Howell County, MO ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | West Plains | 12,704 |
| 2. | Mountain View | 2,668 |
| 3. | Willow Springs | 2,219 |
| 4. | Brandsville | 128 |
| 5. | Balance of Howell County | 23,043 |
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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.
