Population and Change. Over the period from 2000 to 2006, Southwest Extension Region's population increased by 63,520, going from 728,089 to 791,609 in 2006. This was a change of 8.7 percent, as compared with Missouri (4.4%).

Components of Change. Natural Increase is defined as births minus deaths. Southwest Extension Region had 17,451 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, Southwest Extension Region had a net migration of 46,069.

Age. In 2006, Southwest Extension Region reported 14.3 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 23.6 percent. Missouri reported 24.1 percent during the same period.

Diversity. As of the 2006 estimates from the Census Bureau, 95.1 percent of the population in the Extension Region was White (753,180). The Extension Region reported 10,726 Blacks (1.4%), 7,588 Asians (1.0%) and 7,501 American Indian (0.9%). There were 26,026 Hispanics (3.3%).

Place of Residence. Estimates for 2006 also show 45.5 percent of the population lived in places of 2,500 or less in Southwest Extension Region. Those living in smaller places account for 10.0 percent of the Extension Region's population and 44.5 percent lived in unincorporated areas.

Housing. According to the Census Bureau's estimates, there were 356,994 housing units in Southwest Extension Region in 2006 The homeownership rate in 2000 was 70.3 percent compared to 70.3 percent statewide. The median value of owner-occupied housing units in 2000 was $80,138 compared with a statewide median value of $89,900.

Households and Families. There were about 288,008 households in the Extension Region according to the 2000 decennial census. Families comprised 69.1 percent of households (198,900). About 23.6 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 Southwest Extension Region (7.9%) were fewer than Missouri (9.1%).

Families and Children. Median family income for Southwest Extension Region was $38,984 in 2005 compared to $46,044 for Missouri.

The 2005 poverty rate in Southwest Extension Region was 15.0 percent which was higher than that of the state (13.6%). The poverty rate among children (22.2%) was higher than that of the state (19.5%).

The annual Kids Count reports Southwest Extension Region indicators on children were ranked 1228 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 7.0 percent and births to teenage mothers were 56.9 per 1,000 girls. The area also reported child abuse cases at a rate of 48.3 per 1,000 for 2006 compared to 32.7 per 1,000 statewide.

Jobs by Sector. The October 2007 unemployment rate was 4.6 percent compared with 5.2 percent statewide. There were 472,794 jobs in Southwest Extension Region in 2005. Retail Trade accounts for more than 12.8 percent of the total jobs (60,392). Manufacturing (49,040), Health care and social assistance (48,029) and Accommodation and food services (36,228) are the next highest categories.

Agriculture. The 2002 Census of Agriculture reported 20,661 farms in the Extension Region with total sales of about $1,029.307 million and production expenses of $968.950 million. There was $60.357 million in net farm income reported in the Extensi on Region with 7.4 percent of all farms having sales of $100,000 or more and 62.0 percent of farms with less than $10,000 in sales.

Extension Region Income Patterns. Southwest Extension Region generated over $20,250 million of total personal income in 2004. Per capita income was $26,057 compared with $31,231 for Missouri. Significant source of income were: Personal current transfer receipts $4,248 (21.0%); Dividends, interest, and rent: $3,011 (14.9%); Manufacturing: $2,328 (11.5%); Health care and social assistance: $1,900 (9.4%) .

Commuting. In Southwest Extension Region, 27 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 Southwest Extension Region 20.1 percent traveled as long. At the same time, 4.6 percent of workers traveled more than 60 minutes to work compared with 5.4 percent statewide.

Educational Attainment. In Southwest Extension Region, about 17.5 percent of residents aged 25 years and over (82,447) were college graduates in 2000 compared with 21.6 percent statewide. An additional 129,513 residents 25 and over in Southwest Extension Region had some college education (27.5%) compared with 27.0 percent of all Missourians of that age.

The high school graduation rate in Southwest Extension Region (84.6%) in 2006 as reported by the Missouri Dept. of Education and Secondary Education was less than the state (85.8%).

Disabilities. There were 54,571 persons age 65 and older in the Extension Region who reported having a disability in 2000 (55.2%). The corresponding Missouri rate is 55.3 percent. Among the working age population (aged 16 to 64) in Southwest Extension Region 50,712 reported some work disability, a rate of 11.0 percent compared to a state rate of 10.8 percent.

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