Population and Change. Over the period from 2000 to 2006, East Central Extension Region's population increased by 86,810, going from 2112725 to 2199535 in 2006. This was a change of 4.1 percent, as compared with Missouri (4.4%).

Components of Change. Natural Increase is defined as births minus deaths. East Central Extension Region had 54,923 more births than deaths between 2000 and 2006 Net migration is the difference between the number of people who moved into an area and the number of people who moved out. So a negative net migration means a net loss of persons due to migration, while a positive value represents a net gain. Between 2000 and 2006, East Central Extension Region had a net migration of 31,892.

Age. In 2006, East Central Extension Region reported 12.5 percent of its residents were 65 and older compared to 13.3 percent statewide. At the same time, the proportion of young people under 18 in the Extension Region was 24.4 percent. Missouri reported 24.1 percent during the same period.

Diversity. As of the 2006 estimates from the Census Bureau, 77.7 percent of the population in the Extension Region was White (1709248). The Extension Region reported 411,981 Blacks (18.7%), 46,635 Asians (2.1%) and 5,948 American Indian (0.3%). There were 41,479 Hispanics (1.9%).

Place of Residence. Estimates for 2006 also show 63.1 percent of the population lived in places of 2,500 or less in East Central Extension Region. Those living in smaller places account for 3.1 percent of the Extension Region's population and 33.8 percent lived in unincorporated areas.

Housing. According to the Census Bureau's estimates, there were 953,521 housing units in East Central Extension Region in 2006 The homeownership rate in 2000 was 71.5 percent compared to 70.3 percent statewide. The median value of owner-occupied housing units in 2000 was $102,016 compared with a statewide median value of $89,900.

Households and Families. There were about 824,007 households in the Extension Region according to the 2000 decennial census. Families comprised 67.4 percent of households (555,442). About 23.5 percent of households were married couples with children under 18, which was more than for the state overall (23.3 percent). Single parent families in East Central Extension Region (9.8%) were more than Missouri (9.1%).

Families and Children. Median family income for East Central Extension Region was $54,738 in 2005 compared to $46,044 for Missouri.

The 2005 poverty rate in East Central Extension Region was 11.3 percent which was lower than that of the state (13.6%). The poverty rate among children (16.6%) was lower than that of the state (19.5%).

The annual Kids Count reports East Central Extension Region indicators on children were ranked 482 out of 114 counties and St. Louis Extension Region in the state in 2006. Kids Count indicators show that low birth weight infants decreased to 8.7 percent and births to teenage mothers were 36.7 per 1,000 girls. The area also reported child abuse cases at a rate of 21.2 per 1,000 for 2006 compared to 32.7 per 1,000 statewide.

Jobs by Sector. The October 2007 unemployment rate was 5.2 percent compared with 5.2 percent statewide. There were 1410920 jobs in East Central Extension Region in 2005. Health care and social assistance accounts for more than 10.7 percent of the total jobs (150,739). Retail Trade (145,110), Manufacturing (124,513) and Accommodation and food services (99,408) are the next highest categories.

Agriculture. The 2002 Census of Agriculture reported 8,185 farms in the Extension Region with total sales of about $250.159 million and production expenses of $224.842 million. There was $25.317 million in net farm income reported in the Extension Region with 6.2 percent of all farms having sales of $100,000 or more and 66.8 percent of farms with less than $10,000 in sales.

Extension Region Income Patterns. East Central Extension Region generated over $80,346 million of total personal income in 2004. Per capita income was $36,708 compared with $31,231 for Missouri. Significant source of income were: Dividends, interest, and rent $14,773 (18.4%); Personal current transfer receipts: $10,979 (13.7%); Manufacturing: $9,707 (12.1%); Health care and social assistance: $6,385 (7.9%) .

Commuting. In East Central Extension Region, 39 percent of workers commute outside their home Extension Region to work in 2000. Statewide, 33 percent of workers traveled between 30 and 60 minutes to work, while in East Central Extension Region 30.5 percent traveled as long. At the same time, 5.8 percent of workers traveled more than 60 minutes to work compared with 5.4 percent statewide.

Educational Attainment. In East Central Extension Region, about 26.4 percent of residents aged 25 years and over (362,889) were college graduates in 2000 compared with 21.6 percent statewide. An additional 391,785 residents 25 and over in East Central Extension Region had some college education (28.5%) compared with 27.0 percent of all Missourians of that age.

The high school graduation rate in East Central Extension Region (85.2%) in 2006 as reported by the Missouri Dept. of Education and Secondary Education was less than the state (85.8%).

Disabilities. There were 136,042 persons age 65 and older in the Extension Region who reported having a disability in 2000 (53.5%). The corresponding Missouri rate is 55.3 percent. Among the working age population (aged 16 to 64) in East Central Extension Region 133,070 reported some work disability, a rate of 9.9 percent compared to a state rate of 10.8 percent.

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