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West Plains, MO
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
12,441
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
36.3
years ∙ half population younger than 36.3, half older
Diversity Index
11.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
0.3%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
West Plains is a city within Howell County, Missouri, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC36.737430° N, 91.867957° W
DMS36° 44′ 14.75″ N, 91° 52′ 04.65″ W
Population Density & area
935.4/sq mi
(360.6/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
45.7%
male
Male
45.7%
Female
54.3%
males per 100 females
West Plains
84
Howell County
94.9
Missouri
97.2
Nativity
0.3%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
West Plains
0.3%
Howell County
1.2%
Missouri
4.5%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
36.3
years ∙ half population younger than 36.3, half older
Dependency ratio
77.2
dependents per 100 working-age adults
West Plains
77.2
Howell County
78.7
Missouri
67.3
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 24.4% | 24.1% | 22.3% |
| Working age (18-64) | 56.4% | 56% | 59.8% |
| Senior (65+) | 19.2% | 19.9% | 17.9% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 77.2 | 78.7 | 67.3 |
| Child dependency ratio | 43.2 | 43.1 | 37.4 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 33.9 | 35.6 | 29.9 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
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
11.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
West Plains
11.3%
Howell County
16.1%
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 West Plains population
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.2% | 2.6% | 5.2% |
| Mexican | 0.1% | 1.4% | 3.2% |
| Puerto Rican | 0% | 0% | 0.4% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0.1% | 1% | 1.4% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 99.8% | 97.4% | 94.8% |
| One race | 95.9% | 93.9% | 90% |
| White | 94.1% | 91.5% | 76.3% |
| Black or African American | 1% | 0.5% | 10.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 3.9% | 3.5% | 4.8% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
53.3%
family
Family
53.3%
Non family
46.7%
% family households
West Plains
53.3%
Howell County
65.5%
Missouri
62.1%
Average household size
2.36
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of West Plains population
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 5,051 | 15,965 | 2,508,227 |
| Average houshold size | 2.36 | 2.48 | 2.4 |
| Family households | 2,693 | 10,455 | 1,558,009 |
| Average family size | 3.22 | 3.05 | 3.03 |
| Married couple family | 1,717 | 7,720 | 1,166,368 |
| Other families | 976 | 2,735 | 391,641 |
| Male householder | 188 | 687 | 115,975 |
| Female householder | 788 | 2,048 | 275,666 |
| Non-family households | 2,358 | 5,510 | 950,218 |
| One-person households | 2,018 | 4,738 | 781,034 |
| Male householder | 944 | 2,098 | 351,809 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 328 | 747 | 107,203 |
| Female householder | 1,074 | 2,640 | 429,225 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 598 | 1,625 | 215,073 |
| Other living arrangements | 340 | 772 | 169,184 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
5,726
housing units
West Plains
5,726
Howell County
18,149
Missouri
2,825,287
Occupancy status
88.2%
occupied
Occupied
88.2%
Vacant
11.8%
vacancy rate
West Plains
11.8%
Howell County
12%
Missouri
11.2%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
74.1%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1977
Half of houses were built before 1977, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.4 | 5.8 | 5.7 |
| 1–3 rooms | 13.3% | 10.6% | 11.5% |
| 4–6 rooms | 50.5% | 50.7% | 53.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 36.3% | 38.8% | 35% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.3% | 7% | 9.7% |
| 2 bedrooms | 35.1% | 24.9% | 26.1% |
| 3 bedrooms | 40.8% | 51% | 41.3% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 10.6% | 15.3% | 20.9% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1977 | 1983 | 1979 |
| Total housing units | 5,726 | 18,149 | 2,825,287 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
52.1%
owners
Renter-occupied
47.9%
Owner-occupied
52.1%
homeownership rate
West Plains
52.1%
Howell County
70.3%
Missouri
68.1%
Average household size
2.62
Owner-occupied
2.07
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
West Plains
2.62
Howell County
2.58
Missouri
2.54
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 5,051 | 15,965 | 2,508,227 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 25.3% | 22% | 24.7% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 50.1% | 42.3% | 40% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 14.3% | 17.8% | 16.5% |
| 1999 or earlier | 10.4% | 17.9% | 18.8% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.8% | 98.2% | 98.3% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 9.2% | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| 1 vehicle | 40.3% | 30.1% | 33% |
| 2 vehicles | 29.5% | 34% | 37.5% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 21% | 29.8% | 22.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 41.5% | 41.5% | 57.7% |
| Electricity | 57.1% | 47% | 38.8% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| All other fuels | 1.1% | 10.8% | 2.8% |
| No fuel used | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.5% | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0% | 0.7% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$169,900
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
15.5%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
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
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $169,900 | $173,000 | $230,300 |
| Under $100,000 | 24.8% | 28% | 15.9% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 35.3% | 29.8% | 25.7% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 26% | 18.2% | 24.1% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 10.5% | 16% | 23.6% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 3.4% | 6.7% | 9.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 56.6% | 46.2% | 60.2% |
| Without a mortgage | 43.4% | 53.8% | 39.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,024 | $1,109 | $1,524 |
| Without a mortgage | $407 | $394 | $546 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $810 | $733 | $1,033 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
17.1%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
West Plains
17.1%
Howell County
17.8%
Missouri
32.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
13.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
West Plains
13.8%
Howell County
13%
Missouri
8.2%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
3,421
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
24.9%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 3,421 | 9,780 | 1,440,482 |
| Nursery / preschool | 3.4% | 7% | 6.3% |
| K–12 | 70.3% | 75.9% | 69.4% |
| Kindergarten | 3.3% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 27.6% | 25.2% | 20.5% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 21.4% | 20.6% | 21.7% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 17.9% | 26% | 22% |
| College or graduate school | 26.4% | 17.2% | 24.3% |
| College, undergraduate | 15.9% | 12.1% | 18.7% |
| Graduate, professional school | 10.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 24.9% | 20.1% | 38.1% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 87.6% | 83.1% | 80.3% |
| Private school | 12.4% | 16.9% | 19.7% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
8,231
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 8,231 | 27,491 | 4,243,115 |
| Less than 9th grade | 2.6% | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 11.2% | 9.5% | 5.5% |
| High school diploma or GED | 39.4% | 39.4% | 30.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.3% | 21.2% | 20.8% |
| Associate's degree | 12.4% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 17.8% | 32.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 9.5% | 10.8% | 19.8% |
| Graduate or professional | 7.6% | 7% | 12.6% |
| High School or higher | 86.2% | 86.9% | 91.9% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$34,692
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
1.2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| West Plains | Howell County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $34,692 | $36,192 | $49,030 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $29,509 | $32,024 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $26,525 | $32,827 | $38,607 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $39,727 | $36,936 | $44,914 |
| Bachelor's degree | $38,958 | $38,686 | $61,818 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $67,250 | $55,867 | $75,454 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 48.1% | 37.3% | 26.4% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 27.4% | 20.6% | 14.4% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 23.4% | 16.2% | 9.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1.2% | 4.8% | 4.3% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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