Dent County, Missouri: commercial real estate data.
Dent County, Missouri had an estimated 14,721 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 14,416, across 753 square miles. County output reached $485.7 m in 2024, 292 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Dent County
How many people live in Dent County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202414,539
- Households5,618
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$56,312
- Median age43.5
- Median gross rent$660 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$167,500
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,262
- Population under 183,279
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over3,233
- Share 65 and over22.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,027
- Civilian labor force6,198
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.0 percent
- Rank by population among Missouri counties71st of 115
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2184th of 3,222
Dent County is the 71st largest of 115 Missouri counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 22.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dent County
Is Dent County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202414,721
- Census 2020 base population14,416
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.12 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202467
- Births, 2024156
- Deaths, 2024222
- Natural change, 2024-66
- Net domestic migration, 2024136
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024135
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024716
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1141st of 3,144
The county has grown 2.12 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dent County
Where are people moving to Dent County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving378
- People arriving, from those returns803
- Tax returns filed by households leaving295
- Net household movement83
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$52,159
- Average income of a leaving household$37,719
- Largest single originPhelps County (49 households)
- Largest single destinationPhelps County (93 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County | 49 | 98 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $14,440 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Phelps County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Dent County
What is the Dent County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$485.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$465.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.3 percent
- GDP change over five years26.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Missouri areas BEA publishes74th of 115
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2418th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$33,406
Output grew 4.3 percent in the latest year and 26.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Dent County
Employment by industry in Dent County
- Covered employment, annual average3,795
- Establishments reporting564
- Average annual pay$42,359
- Average weekly wage$815
- Retail trade, employment549
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,144
- Manufacturing, employment367
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$58,192
- Accommodation and food services, employment313
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,728
- Wholesale trade, employment274
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$71,275
- Finance and insurance, employment154
- Construction, employment152
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 549 | 44 | $31,144 |
| Manufacturing | 367 | 20 | $58,192 |
| Accommodation and food services | 313 | 24 | $18,728 |
| Wholesale trade | 274 | 5 | $71,275 |
| Finance and insurance | 154 | 17 | $68,513 |
| Construction | 152 | 33 | $43,211 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 78 | 28 | $55,339 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 32 | 9 | $29,909 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 549 jobs, 14.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dent County
How many businesses are in Dent County?
- Establishments, all industries292
- Employment at those establishments3,870
- Annual payroll$154.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dent County
Building permits in Dent County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$730,944
- Single family units authorized3
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$243,648
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.5
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dent County
SBA loans in Dent County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$629,500
- Median 7(a) approval$95,000
- Largest single approval$2,476,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)36
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$462,000
- Average 504 approval$231,000
- Median 504 approval$231,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.3
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$3.6 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dent County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Dent County
Do SBA loans in Dent County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Paid in full1
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dent County
How large is Dent County?
- Land area753 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Missouri counties20th of 115
- Width, east to west35.9 mi
- Height, north to south26 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land19
- Establishments per square mile0.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dent County
Flood risk in Dent County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Dent County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 290118
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Dent County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Dent County (community 290118), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Dent County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 50.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Dent County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Dent County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202414,539
- Households5,618
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$56,312
- Median age43.5
Common questions
Dent County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dent County, Missouri?
The Census Bureau estimates 14,721 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 14,539, in 5,618 households, ranking 71st of 115 Missouri counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dent County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.12 percent since the 2020 census base of 14,416, to 14,721 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 156 births against 222 deaths, with net migration of 135. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dent County?
$56,312. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $167,500, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $660 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Dent County?
292 establishments, employing 3,870 people with an annual payroll of $154.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Dent County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 549 jobs, 14.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,795 jobs at an average annual pay of $42,359, or $815 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dent County?
5 7(a) approvals totaling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $95,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $462,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Dent County?
3 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $730,944. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dent County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Dent County come from?
The largest single origin is Phelps County, with 49 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,159 against $37,719 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Dent County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Dent County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Dent County
Cities and places in Dent.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Dent County. All 2 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | city | 4,677 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Bunker | city | 336 | None recorded | 54.2 percent here, 45.8 percent Reynolds County |
Nearby