'Great Migration' Census Data Reveals Missourians Are Moving To Smaller Cities & Lakes

The latest U.S. Census Data is out, and the numbers reveal some interesting population and migration trends within Missouri since the "Great Migration" triggered by Covid lockdowns in 2020.

We'll get into some more number-crunching below (gratis Claude AI), but first, here are the big takeaways by looking at the change in county population from 2020 to 2024. In no particular order...

People Are Leaving Inner City St. Louis

It's no surprise. The Lou, while still Missouri's largest city with a robust culture and entertainment scene, has faced population decline in recent years as the city's schools struggle, crime rates climb, and political leaders offer out-of-touch solutions.

But Missourians still appear to want to be near the Gateway City, just not in it. While St. Louis County and City saw population declines, surrounding counties of St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Franklin all saw growth — some of them significantly.

The Bootheel Is Emptying

Missouri's bootheel is wearing thin. Not a single of the six counties that compose Missouri's bootheel (Pemiscot, Dunklin, New Madrid, Mississippi, Scott, and Stoddard) experienced growth from 2020 to 2024.

People Are Seeking The Outdoors & Lake-Life

As well they should! The Missouri Ozarks region overall saw growth that outpaced Missouri's 1.5% statewide population growth.

At Lake of the Ozarks, all three counties of Camden, Miller, and Morgan saw substantial growth over the four-year period measured.

The nine counties south of Springfield toward the Tri-Lakes (Table Rock, Taneycomo, Bull Shoals lakes) area also all experienced increases in population.

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Kansas City Is Still Appealing

Defying (just barely) the St. Louis trend of people leaving inner-city counties, Kansas City's Jackson County grew... though by a meager 1.4%. The counties around KC did well, though (mirroring that "moving to communities outside St. Louis" trend): Clay, Platte, and Cass counties all saw significant growth.

Springfield & Columbia Are Doing Well

The appeal of the little-city! Columbia's college-town character and the culture and economy that spring from that have kept that city's population strong: Boone County saw 4.7% growth from 2020 to 2024. And Springfield's Greene County also showed vitality, with 3% population growth during that time.

How The Other States Are Doing...

Missouri's population increase of 90,612 placed it at #19 among the 50 states. The states with the biggest numeric population increase were Texas (2.1 million), Florida (1.8 million) and North Carolina (604,525). The states with the biggest percentage-growth were Idaho (8.8%), Florida (8.5%), Texas (7.3%), and Utah (7.1%).

The biggest losers, percentage-wise, were New York (-1.7%), West Virginia (-1.3%) and Louisiana (-1.3%). And the biggest numerical losses in population occurred in New York (-336,524), California (-124,411), and Illinois (-111,656).

More Numbers Breakdown

Running the census data through Claude AI produced some handy breakdowns in terms of counties with the most growth and steepest declines, along with some regional trends. Here's what it came up with:

Overall State Growth:
- Missouri's population grew by 1.5% from 2020 to 2024
- The state ranked 19th in terms of population growth among U.S. states during this period
Major Cities and Surrounding Areas:
- St. Louis City: Significant decline (-7.2% from 301,371 to 279,695)
- Kansas City (Jackson County): Moderate growth (+1.4% from 717,214 to 727,362)
- Springfield (Greene County): Moderate growth (+3.0% from 298,909 to 307,942)
- Columbia (Boone County): Significant growth (+4.7% from 183,608 to 192,154)
Kansas City Metro Area:
- Clay County: +4.0% growth
- Platte County: +6.1% growth
- Cass County: +5.6% growth
St. Louis Metro Area:
- St. Louis City: Significant decline (-7.19%)
- St. Louis County: Slight decline (-1.15%)
- St. Charles County: Significant growth (+4.56%)
- Jefferson County: Moderate growth (+2.35%)
Lake of the Ozarks Area:
- Morgan County: +6.6% growth
- Miller County: +3.8% growth
- Camden County: +3.3% growth
Fastest Growing Counties:
- Lincoln County: +10.6% (59,577 to 65,888)
- Christian County: +8.1% (88,846 to 96,045)
- Webster County: +7.6% (39,084 to 42,041)
Counties with Significant Decline:
- Worth County: -5.1% (1,973 to 1,872)
- Sullivan County: -4.0% (5,987 to 5,750)
- Atchison County: -3.1% (5,302 to 5,139)

Key Observations:

The data supports your initial thesis about people leaving inner cities (evident in St. Louis) and moving to smaller towns or suburban areas.
The growth in the Lake of the Ozarks area is confirmed.
Kansas City metro area shows strong growth, particularly in the surrounding counties.
Some rural counties are indeed losing population, but it's not uniform across all rural areas.
The state's overall growth (1.5%) is modest, suggesting that while there is internal migration, the state isn't experiencing rapid overall population increase.

This data paints a picture of shifting demographics within Missouri, with some urban cores losing population while suburban and certain rural areas gain residents. The growth patterns suggest a complex mix of urbanization, suburbanization, and rural development across different regions of the state.

**Ready to buy the Lake House? Browse Lake of the Ozarks and Tri-Lakes listings at LakeExpoRealEstate.com! (No sign-in required.)

**Looking to sell? Contact the LakeExpo Real Estate team and learn why sellers love the LakeExpo advantage! Call (573) 693-1613.

To find out what your home might be worth, click here.