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Wardsville, MO

Village in Cole County, MO, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

1,579
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

36.2
years ∙ half population younger than 36.2, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
6.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Wardsville is a village within Cole County, Missouri, United States.
Location
Village in Cole County, MO, US
Co-ordinates
DEC38.491807° N, 92.182485° W
DMS38° 29′ 30.51″ N, 92° 10′ 56.95″ W

Population Density & area

456.4/sq mi (176/km²)
Total Area
3.46 sq mi (8.97 km²)
Land Area
3.46 sq mi (8.97 km²) · 99.98%
Water Area
0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0.02%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.1% male
Male 48.1%
Female 51.9%
males per 100 females
Wardsville 92.8
Cole County 101.3
Missouri 97.2

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Wardsville 0%
Cole County 2.9%
Missouri 4.5%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

36.2
years ∙ half population younger than 36.2, half older
Wardsville
36.2
Cole County
39.9
Missouri
39

Dependency ratio

Low High
94.2
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Wardsville 94.2
Cole County 67
Missouri 67.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 33% 22.1% 22.3%
Working age (18-64) 51.5% 59.9% 59.8%
Senior (65+) 15.5% 18% 17.9%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 94.2 67 67.3
Child dependency ratio 64.1 36.9 37.4
Old-age dependency ratio 30.1 30.1 29.9
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
96.6%
Black
0%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
0%
Other
3.4%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
6.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Wardsville 6.6%
Cole County 35.9%
Missouri 40%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Wardsville population
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Hispanic or Latino 0% 3.6% 5.2%
Mexican 0% 2.5% 3.2%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.3% 0.4%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 0.8% 1.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino 100% 96.4% 94.8%
One race 96.6% 91.3% 90%
White 96.6% 79.2% 76.3%
Black or African American 0% 9.7% 10.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.2% 0.2%
Asian 0% 1.4% 2.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0.1%
Some Other Race 0% 0.6% 0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 3.4% 5.1% 4.8%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

77.8% family
Family 77.8%
Non family 22.2%
% family households
Wardsville 77.8%
Cole County 60.8%
Missouri 62.1%

Average household size

2.86
persons per household
Wardsville
2.86
Cole County
2.35
Missouri
2.4

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Wardsville population
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Total households 553 31,086 2,508,227
Average houshold size 2.86 2.35 2.4
Family households 430 18,907 1,558,009
Average family size 3.2 3.03 3.03
Married couple family 378 14,812 1,166,368
Other families 52 4,095 391,641
Male householder 32 1,110 115,975
Female householder 20 2,985 275,666
Non-family households 123 12,179 950,218
One-person households 97 10,526 781,034
Male householder 26 4,815 351,809
Senior (65+) living alone 6 1,202 107,203
Female householder 71 5,711 429,225
Senior (65+) living alone 50 3,039 215,073
Other living arrangements 26 1,653 169,184

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

577
housing units
Wardsville 577
Cole County 33,533
Missouri 2,825,287

Occupancy status

95.8% occupied
Occupied 95.8%
Vacant 4.2%
vacancy rate
Wardsville 4.2%
Cole County 7.3%
Missouri 11.2%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

91.4%
Single family houses
Single family houses
91.4%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
8.7%
Mobile homes
0%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1997
Half of houses were built before 1997, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
1.6%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
22.4%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
32.9%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
43.2%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.7 6.1 5.7
1–3 rooms 5% 9.3% 11.5%
4–6 rooms 41.6% 47.8% 53.4%
7+ rooms 53.4% 43% 35%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 0.9% 2%
1 bedroom 5.7% 8.4% 9.7%
2 bedrooms 10.6% 21.8% 26.1%
3 bedrooms 49.6% 45.5% 41.3%
4+ bedrooms 34.1% 23.3% 20.9%
At a glance
Median year built 1997 1983 1979
Total housing units 577 33,533 2,825,287
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

84.4% owners
Renter-occupied 15.6%
Owner-occupied 84.4%
homeownership rate
Wardsville 84.4%
Cole County 67.9%
Missouri 68.1%

Average household size

2.85
Owner-occupied
2.87
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Wardsville 2.85
Cole County 2.52
Missouri 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Total occupied units 553 31,086 2,508,227
Year moved in
2020 or later 15.9% 24.2% 24.7%
2010 to 2019 37.1% 40.2% 40%
2000 to 2009 25.3% 14.4% 16.5%
1999 or earlier 21.7% 21.3% 18.8%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 92.4% 99% 98.3%
1.01 to 1.50 7.6% 0.8% 1.2%
1.51 or more 0% 0.3% 0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 0% 5.5% 6.6%
1 vehicle 15.6% 32.7% 33%
2 vehicles 43% 38.6% 37.5%
3 or more vehicles 41.4% 23.2% 22.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas 62.7% 41% 57.7%
Electricity 34.9% 56% 38.8%
Solar 0% 0% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0.1% 0.2%
All other fuels 2.3% 2.4% 2.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.5% 0.4%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.2% 0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.4% 0.8%
No telephone service available 1.8% 0.8% 0.9%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$329,500
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Wardsville
$329,500
Cole County
$229,600
Missouri
$230,300

Housing Cost Burden

12.1%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
12.1%
Owners without a mortgage
1.3%
Renters
19.3%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Property value
Median Value $329,500 $229,600 $230,300
Under $100,000 1.9% 8.1% 15.9%
$100,000 - $200,000 10.1% 31.1% 25.7%
$200,000 - $300,000 27.4% 30.1% 24.1%
$300,000 - $500,000 47.1% 22.1% 23.6%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 11.6% 7.4% 9.1%
$1,000,000 and more 1.9% 1.1% 1.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 49.7% 58.9% 60.2%
Without a mortgage 50.3% 41.1% 39.8%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,693 $1,420 $1,524
Without a mortgage $556 $503 $546
Gross rent
Median rent $885 $834 $1,033

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

41.9%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Wardsville 41.9%
Cole County 38.9%
Missouri 32.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

3.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Wardsville 3.8%
Cole County 5.7%
Missouri 8.2%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

327
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
12.5%
K–12
75.5%
College / Undergraduate
6.7%
Graduate / Professional
5.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

21.1%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Wardsville
21.1%
Cole County
31.7%
Missouri
38.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Total enrolled (age 3+) 327 17,450 1,440,482
Nursery / preschool 12.5% 5.2% 6.3%
K–12 75.5% 73.7% 69.4%
Kindergarten 1.2% 4.7% 5.1%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 20.8% 20.1% 20.5%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 27.5% 22.9% 21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12 26% 26% 22%
College or graduate school 11.9% 21.1% 24.3%
College, undergraduate 6.7% 16.5% 18.7%
Graduate, professional school 5.2% 4.6% 5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 21.1% 31.7% 38.1%
School type
Public school 79.2% 70% 80.3%
Private school 20.8% 30% 19.7%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

968
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
1.8%
9th-12th, no diploma
2%
HS graduate
24.4%
Some college no degree
17.4%
Associates degree
12.6%
Bachelors degree
28.4%
Graduate or professional degree
13.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
52.9% · 47.1%
9th-12th, no diploma
52.6% · 47.4%
HS graduate
46.6% · 53.4%
Some college no degree
39.3% · 60.7%
Associates degree
64.8% · 35.2%
Bachelors degree
49.8% · 50.2%
Graduate or professional degree
32.1% · 67.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Population (25+) 968 53,203 4,243,115
Less than 9th grade 1.8% 1.6% 2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma 2% 4.1% 5.5%
High school diploma or GED 24.4% 29.2% 30.2%
Some college, no degree 17.4% 18% 20.8%
Associate's degree 12.6% 8% 8.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher 41.9% 38.9% 32.4%
Bachelor's degree 28.4% 24.8% 19.8%
Graduate or professional 13.5% 14.1% 12.6%
High School or higher 96.3% 94.2% 91.9%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$63,170
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$55,313
HS graduate
$46,131
Some college or associates
$52,031
Bachelors degree
$72,321
Graduate or professional degree
$72,143

Poverty Rate

0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
0%
HS graduate
10.6%
Some college or associates
1%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Wardsville Cole County Missouri
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $63,170 $50,156 $49,030
Less than high school graduate $55,313 $28,649 $32,024
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $46,131 $41,179 $38,607
Some college or associate's degree $52,031 $42,542 $44,914
Bachelor's degree $72,321 $56,750 $61,818
Graduate or professional degree $72,143 $70,198 $75,454
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 0% 20.9% 26.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 10.6% 11.2% 14.4%
Some college or associate's degree 1% 9% 9.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0% 3.5% 4.3%

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