1st Advantage MortgageBoone County households have a median income of $72,758 and median rent of $1,088 a month (ACS 2020 to 2024). Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- A quick profile of Boone County
- Employment and commuting in Boone County
- Household income in Boone County
- Housing costs in Boone County
- How Boone County compares with nearby counties
- The communities that make up Boone County
- Budget math at the Boone County median
- What the numbers mean for Boone County borrowers
- More Boone County figures
- Four steps for Boone County borrowers
- Who licenses lenders for Boone County residents
- More guides for Boone County
- Frequently asked questions
A quick profile of Boone County
Roughly 188,043 residents live in Boone County, Missouri, 8th by population among the state's 115 counties and county equivalents. Land area is 686 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 274 per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Columbia, MO metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. Columbia is the biggest of its 10 Census places, at roughly 128,548 people (68% of the county total).
Employment and commuting in Boone County
The biggest employer of Boone County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 36% of workers, followed by arts, lodging and food service (10%). Compared with Missouri, the county leans toward education and health care (36% against 24%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 3.8% in Boone County. 6% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 10% work from home.
| Sector | Boone County | Compared with Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 35.9% | +11.6 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 9.9% | +1.8 pts |
| Retail trade | 9.3% | -2.0 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.5% | -1.9 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 8.2% | +1.0 pts |
| Manufacturing | 6.4% | -4.9 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
Household income in Boone County
At $72,758, the typical Boone County household income is 11% above the median U.S. county ($65,681).
| Households earning | Boone County | +/- vs Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 24.1% | +0.5 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 40.6% | -1.9 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 25.1% | -0.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 10.2% | +1.5 pts |
Some 24% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 35% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 16.6% of Boone County residents in poverty, against 12.6% across Missouri. If your income is irregular, as it often is with tips, gig work or seasonal jobs, plan around your leaner months rather than the Boone County median.
Housing costs in Boone County
Renters in Boone County pay a median of $1,088 a month, 5% above the Missouri figure of $1,033. 49% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 26% spend half or more. Home values center on $272,800, or 3.7 years of median income. Owners occupy 58% of homes. Median construction year: 1991.
| Measure | Boone County | Missouri | Median U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,088/mo | $1,033/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $272,800 | $230,300 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 58% | 68% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 49% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 19% | 22% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 3.5% | 5.2% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 6% | 11% | n/a |
How Boone County compares with nearby counties
Six nearby counties, 23 to 33 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Callaway County leads the group on income ($74,176), Randolph County trails ($53,033), and Boone County out-earns 5 of the six.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | - | $72,758 | $1,088/mo | 58% |
| Howard County, MO | 23 mi | $65,938 | $832/mo | 79% |
| Callaway County, MO | 23 mi | $74,176 | $887/mo | 76% |
| Cooper County, MO | 29 mi | $70,625 | $782/mo | 76% |
| Moniteau County, MO | 29 mi | $65,715 | $735/mo | 79% |
| Audrain County, MO | 29 mi | $59,448 | $693/mo | 72% |
| Randolph County, MO | 33 mi | $53,033 | $760/mo | 71% |
The communities that make up Boone County
Here are the 10 most populous of the county's 10 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 73% of Boone County residents live in one of the 10. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $66,498 in Columbia to $93,143 in Ashland. None of the 10 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | city | 128,548 | $66,498 | $1,097 | 3 mi |
| Ashland | city | 4,914 | $93,143 | $1,206 | 13 mi |
| Hallsville | city | 1,927 | $71,000 | $1,127 | 10 mi |
| Sturgeon | city | 1,035 | $76,250 | $856 | 17 mi |
| Harrisburg | town | 312 | $68,906 | $944 | 13 mi |
| Rocheport | city | 231 | $57,083 | $989 | 14 mi |
| Hartsburg | town | 109 | $46,250 | $671 | 20 mi |
| Pierpont | village | 64 | $88,750 | n/a | 9 mi |
| Huntsdale | town | 11 | n/a | n/a | 11 mi |
| McBaine | town | 4 | n/a | n/a | 11 mi |
Budget math at the Boone County median
Boone County at the medians, through a lender's eyes (what DTI means):
- $6,063 a month: gross income for a household at the Boone County median
- Median rent: $1,088, or 18 cents of every gross dollar
- 40% debt-to-income limit: $1,337 left for all other debt payments
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
What the numbers mean for Boone County borrowers
What the Boone County figures suggest, and what to check first:
- Tight rental budgets. With 49% of Boone County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Boone County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
- Debt consolidation. One fixed payment can save money only if the written APR and fees beat what you pay now (guide).
More Boone County figures
College graduates make up 52% of the adult population. About 6% go without health insurance.
| Residents | Boone County | Missouri | Middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 51.5% | 32.4% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 4.6% | 8.1% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 5.9% | 8.8% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 5.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.8% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 38.5% |
| 15 to 29 min | 46.0% |
| 30 to 44 min | 9.9% |
| 45 to 59 min | 2.6% |
| 60+ min | 3.1% |
Four steps for Boone County borrowers
Before you apply, wherever you live in Boone County:
- Price the Boone County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Collect three written offers and compare APR and total repaid.
- A Missouri license check takes minutes; do it first.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Who licenses lenders for Boone County residents
Consumer lenders serving Boone County are licensed by the state, not the county; in Missouri that is the Missouri Division of Finance. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. Statewide data and rules: Missouri guide.
More guides for Boone County
For statewide rules and data, see the Missouri guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Boone County a high-income county?
Its $72,758 median ranks 17th of 115 Missouri counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
Is Boone County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,088 against $1,033 statewide, and 49% of renter households are cost-burdened.
I live in a small Boone County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Columbia, Ashland, Hallsville, Sturgeon, Harrisburg and 5 more.
Does living in Boone County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Boone County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Where can someone in Boone County check a lender's license?
With the Missouri Division of Finance. If a lender is unlicensed or asks for a fee before funding, walk away.