Special Report

These Are the Counties in the St. Joseph, MO-KS Metro Area with the Most Deaths from COVID-19

Samuel Stebbins

Published: May 13, 2022 4:15 am

Though cases of the omicron variant appear to have peaked in the United States, the virus continues to claim lives. Nearly 1 million Americans have died from the virus – more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the St. Joseph metropolitan area, which covers parts of Missouri and Kansas, a total of 456 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 360 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 303 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.

The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven by one area in particular.

The broader St. Joseph metro area comprises four counties or county equivalents — and of them, Doniphan County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Doniphan County stands at 440 for every 100,000 people.

Though it has the highest per capita death rate in the St. Joseph metro area, Doniphan County ranks among the middle 50% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of May 11, 2022.

These are all the counties in Kansas where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).