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Buchanan County, Missouri: crime rate, income and local data
Buchanan County averaged 6.1 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 28% higher than the Missouri rate (4.7). The median household earns $62,158 and the unemployment rate was 4.1% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 83,568 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Buchanan County?
From 2021 through 2025, Buchanan County averaged 509 reported violent crimes a year, along with 2,963 property crimes. That is 6.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 28% higher than the Missouri rate (4.7), and 65% higher than the U.S. rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 35.5 per 1,000, against 21.0 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 61% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 7 homicide deaths a year in the county (8.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Buchanan County | Per 1,000 | Missouri per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 509 | 6.1 | 4.7 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 4 | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 153 | 1.8 | 0.49 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 42 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 310 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 2,963 | 35.5 | 21.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 414 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,135 | 25.5 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 414 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Buchanan County?
Median household income is $62,158, 12% lower than the statewide figure ($70,702). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $166,300, and the median rent is $902 a month. 14.5% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,600 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Buchanan County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 83,568 | 6,191,814 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $62,158 | $70,702 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $166,300 | $230,300 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $902 | $1,033 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.2% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 16.0% | 12.6% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 14.5% | 9.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 32.4% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 66.3% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.9 | 39.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 86.0% | 89.3% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 11.2% | 8.8% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Buchanan County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Buchanan County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Buchanan County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 11 high-hazard dams in Buchanan County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 2 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Belcher Branch Lake Dam (47 ft) and Komer Lake Dam (42 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
20 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 1,734,132 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Buchanan County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 2, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 0 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 5 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 8 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 2 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Buchanan County?
Buchanan County had 4 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include LEWIS AND CLARK TRAIL, U and 29. 1 is on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Buchanan County?
Federal school lists show 34 public and 8 private schools in the county. 6 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 16 fire or EMS stations and 1 police or sheriff station. 1 state park or recreation area: Lewis And Clark State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Buchanan County
Gun shops
10 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Buchanan County, plus 13 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: American Gold Mine (2 in Saint Joseph), American Walnut Company LLC (St Joseph), Bomgaars (Saint Joseph), Bulls Eye Trading LLC (Saint Joseph), E L K Arms (Saint Joseph), J & B Outdoors (Saint Joseph), Pawn Plus (Saint Joseph), Walmart #2994 (Saint Joseph) and 1 more.
Liquor stores
10 liquor stores are on the map in Buchanan County: 420 Cigarettes Beer & Spirits (Saint Joseph), A1 Liquor And Grocery (Saint Joseph), Choice Liquor & Mart (Saint Joseph), Culver Convenience Store (Saint Joseph), Galaxy Liquor & Mart (Saint Joseph), King Hill Mart Liquor (Saint Joseph), Old World Liquor & Smoke (Saint Joseph), On The Go (Saint Joseph) and 2 more.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Buchanan County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Buchanan County?
Buchanan County averaged 509 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 6.1 per 1,000 residents, 28% higher than the Missouri rate (4.7). The property-crime rate was 35.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Buchanan County?
$62,158 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $70,702 for Missouri and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Buchanan County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,600 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Buchanan County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Buchanan County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Is there road construction in Buchanan County right now?
Buchanan County had 4 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Listed roads include LEWIS AND CLARK TRAIL, U and 29. 1 is on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Buchanan County?
6 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Buchanan County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew County | 18,065 | 1.5 | $75,625 |
| Atchison County, KS | 16,208 | 2.1 | $61,112 |
| Clinton County | 21,414 | 1.9 | $70,627 |
| DeKalb County | 10,876 | 1.4 | $69,826 |
| Doniphan County, KS | 7,503 | 4.0 | $74,028 |
| Platte County | 110,371 | 2.0 | $96,227 |
Cities in Buchanan County with their own page: St. Joseph.
More: Missouri statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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