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Bethel, MO

Village in Shelby County, MO, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

126
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

47.5
years ∙ half population younger than 47.5, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
0%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.4%
foreign-born population
97.6%Native
2.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Bethel is a village within Shelby County, Missouri, United States.
Location
Village in Shelby County, MO, US
Co-ordinates
DEC39.877772° N, 92.022665° W
DMS39° 52′ 39.98″ N, 92° 01′ 21.59″ W

Population Density & area

913/sq mi (352.9/km²)
Total Area
0.138 sq mi (0.357 km²)
Land Area
0.138 sq mi (0.357 km²) · 100%
Water Area
0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

57.9% male
Male 57.9%
Female 42.1%
males per 100 females
Bethel 137.7
Shelby County 104
Missouri 97.2

Nativity

2.4%
foreign-born population
97.6%Native
2.4% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Bethel 2.4%
Shelby County 1.3%
Missouri 4.5%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

47.5
years ∙ half population younger than 47.5, half older
Bethel
47.5
Shelby County
42.7
Missouri
39

Dependency ratio

Low High
57.5
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Bethel 57.5
Shelby County 85.9
Missouri 67.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 15.1% 24% 22.3%
Working age (18-64) 63.5% 53.7% 59.8%
Senior (65+) 21.4% 22.3% 17.9%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 57.5 85.9 67.3
Child dependency ratio 23.8 44.5 37.4
Old-age dependency ratio 33.8 41.4 29.9
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
100%
Black
0%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
0%
Other
0%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
0%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Bethel 0%
Shelby County 12.3%
Missouri 40%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Bethel population
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Hispanic or Latino 0% 2.3% 5.2%
Mexican 0% 1.3% 3.2%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.3% 0.4%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 0.7% 1.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino 100% 97.7% 94.8%
One race 100% 95.2% 90%
White 100% 93.6% 76.3%
Black or African American 0% 1.1% 10.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0% 0.2%
Asian 0% 0.4% 2.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0.1%
Some Other Race 0% 0.1% 0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 0% 2.5% 4.8%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64.9% family
Family 64.9%
Non family 35.1%
% family households
Bethel 64.9%
Shelby County 62.2%
Missouri 62.1%

Average household size

2.21
persons per household
Bethel
2.21
Shelby County
2.41
Missouri
2.4

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Bethel population
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Total households 57 2,391 2,508,227
Average houshold size 2.21 2.41 2.4
Family households 37 1,488 1,558,009
Average family size 2.76 3.02 3.03
Married couple family 28 1,141 1,166,368
Other families 9 347 391,641
Male householder 8 127 115,975
Female householder 1 220 275,666
Non-family households 20 903 950,218
One-person households 19 762 781,034
Male householder 8 451 351,809
Senior (65+) living alone 2 136 107,203
Female householder 11 311 429,225
Senior (65+) living alone 5 208 215,073
Other living arrangements 1 141 169,184

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

69
housing units
Bethel 69
Shelby County 2,950
Missouri 2,825,287

Occupancy status

82.6% occupied
Occupied 82.6%
Vacant 17.4%
vacancy rate
Bethel 17.4%
Shelby County 18.9%
Missouri 11.2%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

79.7%
Single family houses
Single family houses
79.7%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
10.1%
Mobile homes
10.1%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1938
Half of houses were built before 1938, and half after.
* The Census Bureau did not report an exact median year built for Bethel the estimate falls at or before 1939, the lower limit of the survey's reporting range.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
63.8%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
11.5%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
17.3%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
7.2%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 6.7 5.7 5.7
1–3 rooms 11.6% 6.3% 11.5%
4–6 rooms 33.3% 60.2% 53.4%
7+ rooms 55% 33.5% 35%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 0.4% 2%
1 bedroom 8.7% 6.5% 9.7%
2 bedrooms 14.5% 33.3% 26.1%
3 bedrooms 52.2% 43.2% 41.3%
4+ bedrooms 24.6% 16.6% 20.9%
At a glance
Median year built 1938 1971 1979
Total housing units 69 2,950 2,825,287
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

75.4% owners
Renter-occupied 24.6%
Owner-occupied 75.4%
homeownership rate
Bethel 75.4%
Shelby County 77.5%
Missouri 68.1%

Average household size

2.37
Owner-occupied
1.71
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Bethel 2.37
Shelby County 2.46
Missouri 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Total occupied units 57 2,391 2,508,227
Year moved in
2020 or later 8.8% 19.7% 24.7%
2010 to 2019 61.4% 41.4% 40%
2000 to 2009 12.3% 16.1% 16.5%
1999 or earlier 17.5% 22.8% 18.8%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 100% 99.5% 98.3%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 0.3% 1.2%
1.51 or more 0% 0.2% 0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 3.5% 4.8% 6.6%
1 vehicle 26.3% 32.5% 33%
2 vehicles 54.4% 33.7% 37.5%
3 or more vehicles 15.8% 29% 22.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas 61.4% 53.7% 57.7%
Electricity 35.1% 39.3% 38.8%
Solar 0% 0% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0% 0.8% 0.2%
All other fuels 3.5% 5.8% 2.8%
No fuel used 0% 0.5% 0.4%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.2% 0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.7% 0.8%
No telephone service available 0% 0.7% 0.9%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$63,800
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Bethel
$63,800
Shelby County
$99,900
Missouri
$230,300

Housing Cost Burden

9.1%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
9.1%
Owners without a mortgage
3.2%
Renters
25%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Property value
Median Value $63,800 $99,900 $230,300
Under $100,000 76.8% 50.1% 15.9%
$100,000 - $200,000 18.6% 23.8% 25.7%
$200,000 - $300,000 4.7% 15.4% 24.1%
$300,000 - $500,000 0% 5.6% 23.6%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 4.9% 9.1%
$1,000,000 and more 0% 0.3% 1.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 25.6% 37.2% 60.2%
Without a mortgage 74.4% 62.8% 39.8%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,125 $1,045 $1,524
Without a mortgage $409 $464 $546
Gross rent
Median rent $392 $625 $1,033

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Bethel 17%
Shelby County 18.5%
Missouri 32.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Bethel 8%
Shelby County 9.6%
Missouri 8.2%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

22
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
0%
K–12
95.5%
College / Undergraduate
4.5%
Graduate / Professional
0%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

14.3%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Bethel
14.3%
Shelby County
39.7%
Missouri
38.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Total enrolled (age 3+) 22 1,379 1,440,482
Nursery / preschool 0% 4.8% 6.3%
K–12 95.5% 77.5% 69.4%
Kindergarten 0% 2.5% 5.1%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 50% 22.8% 20.5%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 27.3% 23.2% 21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12 18.2% 29% 22%
College or graduate school 4.5% 17.7% 24.3%
College, undergraduate 4.5% 14.1% 18.7%
Graduate, professional school 0% 3.6% 5.6%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 14.3% 39.7% 38.1%
School type
Public school 100% 91.6% 80.3%
Private school 0% 8.4% 19.7%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

100
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
0%
9th-12th, no diploma
8%
HS graduate
27%
Some college no degree
40%
Associates degree
8%
Bachelors degree
13%
Graduate or professional degree
4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Bethel due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
—% · —%
9th-12th, no diploma
75% · 25%
HS graduate
51.9% · 48.1%
Some college no degree
47.5% · 52.5%
Associates degree
100% · 0%
Bachelors degree
46.2% · 53.8%
Graduate or professional degree
50% · 50%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Population (25+) 100 4,114 4,243,115
Less than 9th grade 0% 2.5% 2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma 8% 7.1% 5.5%
High school diploma or GED 27% 44.6% 30.2%
Some college, no degree 40% 19.6% 20.8%
Associate's degree 8% 7.7% 8.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher 17% 18.5% 32.4%
Bachelor's degree 13% 13.6% 19.8%
Graduate or professional 4% 4.9% 12.6%
High School or higher 92% 90.4% 91.9%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$36,250
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$46,250
Some college or associates
$35,625
Bachelors degree
$23,750
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

11.8%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
0%
HS graduate
7.4%
Some college or associates
14.6%
Bachelors degree or higher
11.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Bethel Shelby County Missouri
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $36,250 $40,907 $49,030
Less than high school graduate $— $29,327 $32,024
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $46,250 $39,472 $38,607
Some college or associate's degree $35,625 $45,000 $44,914
Bachelor's degree $23,750 $41,152 $61,818
Graduate or professional degree $— $52,885 $75,454
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 0% 33.1% 26.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 7.4% 15.7% 14.4%
Some college or associate's degree 14.6% 10.3% 9.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher 11.8% 8.7% 4.3%

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