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St. Louis County, MO: population growth, jobs and income

St. Louis County lost 755 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.1%).

St. Louis County had an estimated 990,911 residents in 2025, down 1.2% (12,454 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Missouri as a whole (+1.9%), and the 97th fastest growth of 115 counties in Missouri.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the St. Louis County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for St. Louis County, ranked against Missouri and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,209/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes7.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months1,0472025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 3,370 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 629,036 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +2.3% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.1% in 2025, 1.0 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 957 new homes in 2025, or 1.0 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $82,936 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +20.8% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,259th.

Part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area.

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St. Louis County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025990,911−755
2024991,666+1,689
2023989,977−1,742
2022991,719−7,131
2021998,850−4,515
20201,003,365–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in St. Louis County

St. Louis County lost 12,454 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−26,493).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−1,316−5,673
International migrationfrom and to other countries+3,895+19,261
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−3,370−26,493
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+36+451
Total change−755−12,454

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn MissouriAmong U.S. counties
Population growth97th of 1152,259th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents103rd of 1152,396th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth50th of 1151,554th of 3,092
Median household income7th of 115485th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate63rd of 1151,685th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents64th of 1132,105th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for St. Louis County, MO as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, St. Louis County's population change (−1.2%) was ahead of 2 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 5.

2 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than St. Louis County's $82,936 (2020–24).

St. Louis County, MO and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
St. Louis County, MO This county990,911−1.2%−3.41.0$82,936
St. Charles County, MO426,499+4.9%5.63.9$104,692
St. Louis, MO278,144−7.4%−13.51.0$56,160
Jefferson County, MO233,132+2.7%4.32.6$82,851
Monroe County, IL34,840−0.3%−2.51.9$102,880
Franklin County, MO108,090+3.1%6.67.3$73,165
St. Clair County, IL250,708−2.5%−1.61.8$73,854
Madison County, IL263,110−1.0%1.21.7$75,793

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 115 Missouri counties · Every state

Questions

Is St. Louis County growing?

No. Its population fell 1.2% between 2020 and 2025, about 12,454 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Missouri as a whole changed +1.9% over the same years. That ranks 97th of 115 counties in Missouri for population growth.

How many people moved to St. Louis County?

On net, none in 2025: about 3,370 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in St. Louis County?

It averaged 4.1% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of St. Louis County?

About 990,911 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in St. Louis County?

Private employers there had 629,036 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +2.3% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Missouri

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Missouri county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

St. Louis County data alerts

Email me when St. Louis County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for St. Louis County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.