Independence, MO — City Profile & Demographics 2026

Population 121,944 · Missouri · Updated May 2026

Population

121,944

Median Income

$59,480

Home Price

$210,384

Unemployment

6.0%

Poverty Rate

15.3%

Bachelor's+

20.9%

Full Demographics — Independence, MO

27 metrics across 8 categories, compared to US national averages.

Demographics

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average
Population	121,944	—
Pop. Density / sq mi	N/A	—
Median Age	38.4	38.9
Foreign Born	5.3%	13.8%
White	72.2%	61.6%
Black	10.8%	12.4%
Asian	1.4%	6.0%
Hispanic	12.4%	18.7%
Spanish at Home	N/A	13.2%

Economy

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average
Median HH Income	$59,480	$74,580
Per Capita Income	$31,683	$40,480
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)BEA MSA-level	$58,527	$64,500
Unemployment Rate	6.0%	3.8%
Poverty Rate	15.3%	11.5%
Bachelor's Degree+	20.9%	35.8%

Housing

Source: Zillow ZHVI, Census ACS

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average	vs US
Median Home Value	$210,384	$410,000
Homeownership Rate	61.0%	65.4%

Safety

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average	vs US
Violent Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	501	380
Property Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	2418	1950

Health

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average
Obesity RateCDC PLACES	37.3%	33.0%
Diabetes RateCDC PLACES	12.9%	11.6%
Poor Mental HealthCDC PLACES — 14+ days/month	19.9%	14.0%
No Health InsuranceCDC PLACES	11.5%	9.6%
Binge DrinkingCDC PLACES	16.8%	15.5%
Current SmokersCDC PLACES	18.4%	12.5%

Climate

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average	vs US
Avg Annual TempNOAA 1991–2020 normal	54.5°F	54.5°F
Annual PrecipitationNOAA 1991–2020 normal	43.7 in	30.2 in

Air Quality

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average	vs US
PM2.5 Annual AvgEPA AQS (state-level est.)	9.3 µg/m³	8.5 µg/m³
Good Air DaysAQI ≤ 50	55.0%	70.0%

Commute

Metric	Independence, MO	US Average	vs US
Mean Commute TimeCensus ACS	25.5 min	27.0 min

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About Independence, MO

Independence is a city in Missouri, United States. With a population of 121,944, it is one of the notable cities in the region. Compared to the US average, Independence shows stronger commute time (26 min average commute vs 27 min average commute US avg). However, the city has a higher educational attainment at 20.9% bachelor's degree, compared to the US average of 35.8% bachelor's degree. Data sourced from US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Survey (2023), CDC PLACES, FBI CDE, NOAA, and EPA.

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