ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Analysis from University of Missouri Extension has placed Missouri as the 19th-most-populous state in the U.S. as of 2024, with 6.25 million residents.

In a recent Missouri Economy Indicator brief from MU Extension’s Exceed program, researchers explored population and migration dynamics across the Show-Me State. Between 2020 and 2024, the state gained more than 90,000 new residents, increasing the overall population by 1.5% over four years. The brief notes that metro counties had a slightly higher growth rate of 1.6%, while nonmetro counties had a 1.1% growth rate.

MU Extension researchers found that the increase in population was driven entirely by migration: 101,152 new residents made Missouri their homes after arriving from other, accounting for the entire positive net population change in this period. At the same time, the natural population change, determined by the difference between births and deaths, resulted in a loss of more than 11,000 people.

“Missouri’s population continues to grow slowly but steadily, driven entirely by migration,” said Luke Dietterle, MU Extension specialist and Exceed contributor. “Missouri is a destination for both international and domestic migrants; roughly three out of five new Missouri residents since 2020 have been international migrants.”

With the natural decrease in population offset by migration, Missouri not only ranks 19th in population size, it also holds the same rank in population growth.

For more insights on Missouri’s population and migration dynamics, read the latest Missouri Economy Indicator brief at http://muext.us/mei.