Throughout the 1990s there have been indications that the Missouri population living outside the city limits of any town (open country) has been growing more rapidly than the population residing in towns and cities. Those indications have been confirmed by the 2000 Census. In 1990 there were 3,572,487 Missourians living in the towns and cities of the state. The 2000 Census reports that the population living in incorporated places increased to 3,861,559 (an 8.1% increase). However the population living outside the city limits of any town or city increased from 1,544,414 in 1990 to 1,733,652 in 2000 - an increase of 12.3%. Although the growth of population in the open country has been significant in many counties, 69 percent of Missouri's population in 2000 reside within the city limits of a town. That is down from 69.8 percent in 1990. The trend toward growing population in the open country has been occurring in all parts of the state.

• Significant population growth is occurring at the edge of metropolitan areas. New housing developments are appearing outside the city limits because construction sites are available and land values are somewhat cheaper.
• There has been significant population growth in many rural counties, especially in the Ozarks, generated largely by people moving to Missouri from other states. It is clear that many of those new residents are expressing a preference for an open country place to live.
• In addition in the two major lake areas - Lake of the Ozarks and Branson-Taneycomo - much new construction is located on waterfronts which are located outside the city limits of any town.

Changes by Counties

Statewide there were 37 counties in which the population living in towns, villages and cities declined from 1990 to 2000. Those counties are shown on the attached map (percent change of population in incorporated places 1990-2000). Most of the counties having a decline in town population are smaller population rural counties, especially in north Missouri.

On the other hand there were only 18 counties in which the open country population declined. Most of those are counties in which there is extensive crop agriculture, such as in the Bootheel. Those counties are shown on another attached map (percent change of open country population 1990-2000).

Although only 31.0 percent of Missouri's total populations reside in the open country, there are 36 counties in which more than 60 percent of the total county population resides in the open country. Most of those are rural counties located in the Ozarks. There are additional 22 counties in which from 50.0 to 59.9% of the county population lives in the open country. Combining these half of all Missouri counties (58) have more than half of their population in 2000 living in the open country.

Although nearly all Missouri counties have a significant open country population it is the much greater rate of growth of that population in many counties that has been an important trend of the 1990s. There were 27 counties in which the open country population increased by more than 20 percent from 1990 to 2000 and additional 44 counties whose increase in open country population was in the range from 10.0 to 19.9 percent.

Patterns of Growth in Towns and Cities

Although Missouri has two major cities and metropolitan areas the older cities have not grown very rapidly. St. Louis City continued to decline from previous decades, dropping from 396,685 in 1990 to 348,189 in 2000 - a decline of 12.2 percent. The town and city population of Jackson County (Kansas City, Independence, Hickman Mills, Lee Summit, Raytown, Blue Springs) increased from 614,085 to 634,004 - an increase of 3.2 percent. The town and city population of Greene County (Springfield) increased from 154,555 to 170,959 - an increase of 10.6 percent. However in Greene County the open country population increased by 30.0 percent.

The most rapid town and city population growth is occurring in the newer suburbs, such as St. Charles whose town and city population increased by 35.2 percent, in Lincoln where the increase was 48.0 percent, in Platte where the town and city population increased by 32.3 percent and Cass where the increase was 34.0 percent, in Christian County where the increase was 132.2 percent. Town and city population was also significant in Taney (Branson) - 61.3 percent, Stone, 52.5 percent, and Camden 29.6 percent. In general the urban population growth in Missouri is occurring as a pattern of new growth rather than any major expansion of existing cities.

Implications for Local Governments

The patterns of population growth in Missouri during the 1990s are creating significant challenges for county and city governments. Especially in rural areas where the open country population has been increasing significantly there are growing problems of water quality, waste disposal, emergency services, etc.

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