Missouri State Facts & Information

As of 2024, Missouri's population is approximately 6.25 million (6,245,466), representing a 0.6% increase from 2023. Missouri is the 19th most populous state in the country. Between 2020 and 2024, the state gained more than 90,000 new residents, increasing the population by 1.5%.

Mike Kehoe was elected as Missouri's governor in November 2024, defeating Democratic opponent Crystal Quade with 59% of the vote. Kehoe previously served as lieutenant governor since 2018 and was majority leader in the Missouri Senate. He succeeded Mike Parson, who was term-limited. Kehoe's top priorities include addressing crime and eventually eliminating the state's income tax.

In 2024, Missouri's real GDP reached $356.7 billion, representing a 2.3% increase from 2023 and the highest GDP in state history. The GDP per capita is $57,106, ranking Missouri 36th nationally. By late 2024, Missouri's economy reached $455 billion in nominal dollars, securing its place as the 22nd-largest state economy in the nation.

Jefferson City, informally known as "Jeff City," is Missouri's capital with a population of 42,564 (2024). Named for President Thomas Jefferson, it was chosen as the state capital in 1821 after Missouri was admitted as the 24th state. The city was laid out by Daniel Morgan Boone, son of famed frontiersman Daniel Boone. Jefferson City holds the distinction of being created specifically to serve as the state capital.

Missouri's state bird is the Eastern Bluebird (adopted 1927), the state flower is the White Hawthorn Blossom (adopted 1923), and the state tree is the Flowering Dogwood. Other notable symbols include the Missouri Mule (state animal), Channel Catfish (state fish), Honeybee (state insect), and the Fiddle (state musical instrument). The state motto is "Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto" (The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law).

Missouri was admitted to the Union as the 24th state on August 10, 1821, as part of the Missouri Compromise. The state is known as "The Show-Me State," though the exact origin of this nickname is debated. Missouri's name comes from the indigenous Missouri tribe and is thought to mean "town of the large canoes."

The current Missouri State Capitol, completed in 1917 and designed by the New York architectural firm Tracy and Swartwout, is constructed of Carthage and Phoenix marble. It features celebrated murals by renowned Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton. The capitol houses offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, and some administrative agencies, plus the state Senate and House of Representatives.

Missouri's population growth is driven entirely by migration. Since 2020, 101,152 new residents made Missouri their home after arriving from other states, accounting for the entire positive net population change. Roughly three out of five new Missouri residents since 2020 are international migrants. The state continues to grow slowly but steadily through migration despite other demographic factors.