Howard County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Howard County, Missouri has a population of 10,147 across 464 square miles, down 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $295.1 m in 2024, 179 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $2.6 m.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Howard County
How many people live in Howard County
- Population10,147
- Households3,585
- Average household size2.83
- Median household income$65,938
- Median age39.0
- Median gross rent$832 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$159,400
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,499
- Population under 182,155
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over2,042
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,950
- Civilian labor force4,653
- Unemployment rate3.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties85th of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2471st
Howard County is the 85th largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 20.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Howard County
Is Howard County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.04 percent
- Census 2020 base population10,154
- Births, 2024107
- Deaths, 2024112
- Natural change, 2024-5
- Net domestic migration, 202441
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 202439
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202464
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1842nd
The county has lost 0.04 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Howard County
Where people moving to Howard County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving235
- People arriving, from those returns411
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$45,264
- Largest single originHoward County Non-migrants (3,431 households)
- Largest single destination (3,431 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County Non-migrants | 3,431 | 7,208 | $241.5 m |
| Boone County | 77 | 130 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 74 | 121 | $4.3 m |
| Cooper County | 40 | 80 | $1.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 23 | 39 | $753,000 |
| Other flows - South | 23 | 39 | $753,000 |
| Randolph County | 21 | 41 | $948,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Howard County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Howard County
What the Howard County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$295.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$300.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.7 percent
- GDP change over five years24.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Missouri counties90th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2707th
- GDP per resident$29,087
Output grew -1.7 percent in the latest year and 24.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Howard County
Who employs people in Howard County
- Covered employment, annual average2,438
- Establishments reporting232
- Average annual pay$43,039
- Average weekly wage$828
- Sector 31-33, employment294
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,164
- Sector 44-45, employment203
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$23,559
- Sector 72, employment158
- Sector 72, average annual pay$13,391
- Sector 52, employment110
- Sector 52, average annual pay$70,195
- Sector 54, employment63
- Sector 42, employment48
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 294 | 12 | $53,164 |
| Sector 44-45 | 203 | 24 | $23,559 |
| Sector 72 | 158 | 14 | $13,391 |
| Sector 52 | 110 | 17 | $70,195 |
| Sector 54 | 63 | 12 | $48,105 |
| Sector 42 | 48 | 9 | $49,693 |
| Sector 23 | 44 | 19 | $45,492 |
| Sector 53 | 17 | 4 | $26,582 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 294 jobs, 12.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Howard County
What businesses operate in Howard County
- Establishments, all industries179
- Employment at those establishments2,038
- Annual payroll$78.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Howard County
What is being built in Howard County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202411
- Declared construction value permitted$1.3 m
- Single family units authorised6
- Multifamily units authorised5
- Multifamily share of units45.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$119,759
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.1
Multifamily is 45.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Howard County
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$259,800
- Median 7(a) approval$158,400
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$860,000
- Largest single approval$860,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)80
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals30.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (2)
- Most active lenderBranson Bank (3)
The average approval of $259,800 sits well above the median of $158,400, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 40.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Howard County
Do SBA loans in Howard County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Howard County
Which parts of Howard County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Fayette, approvals6
- Glasgow, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette | 6 | $2,026,100 |
| Glasgow | 4 | $571,900 |
Fayette accounts for 6 approvals against 4 in Glasgow. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Howard County
How big is Howard County
- Land area464 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties92nd of 115
- Width, east to west27.4 mi
- Height, north to south25.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Howard County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Howard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population10,147
- Households3,585
- Average household size2.83
- Median household income$65,938
- Median age39.0
Common questions
Howard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Howard County, Missouri?
10,147, in 3,585 households, ranking 85th of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Howard County growing?
The population has fallen 0.04 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 107 births against 112 deaths, with net migration of 39. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Howard County?
$65,938. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $159,400, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $832 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Howard County?
179 establishments, employing 2,038 people with an annual payroll of $78.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Howard County?
Average annual pay is $43,039, or $828 a week, across 2,438 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $2.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $158,400. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Howard County?
11 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.3 m. Multifamily was 45.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Howard County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Howard County come from?
The largest single origin is Howard County Non-migrants, with 3,431 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,264 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Howard County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Howard County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.