City safety & data profile

West PlainsMO

West Plains, MO is a 12K-resident city in Howell County with a median household income of $44,002.

Howell County, Missouri. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for West Plains, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. West Plains has a population larger than 14% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $169,900, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

12K
Population
Top 86%
By size
$44,002
Median income
$169,900
Median home
28.1%
Poverty rate

The read on West Plains

West Plains posts a median household income higher than 4% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the West Plains area.

Top 96%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near West Plains

Where West Plains income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$44,002 Bottom 4% higher than 4% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MO $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading West Plains, MO beyond the headline numbers

West Plains sits inside Howell County, Missouri, at roughly 36.73°N, -91.85°W. Population 12,285, $44,002 median household income. Median home value $169,900, median rent $810. Poverty rate 28.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: West Plains's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 41.1%, then short sleep duration at 38.9%. 1 hospital in/around West Plains, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for West Plains from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
12,285
West Plains
Median Income
$44,002
-35% vs avg
Median Home Value
$169,900
-25% vs avg
Median Age
36.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Howell County) - West Plains's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
40K-0%
Median Income
$50,993+57%
Median Home Value
$173,000+77%
Poverty Rate
20.3%-15%
Unemployment
5%-43%

Economics

Economics indicators for West Plains, MO
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$810/mo
Poverty Rate
28.1% +98% vs avg
Unemployment 4.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 17.1%
Work From Home 3.6%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 94.2%
African American 1%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.1%

Health Profile 14 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
41.1%
Short Sleep Duration
38.9%
Obesity
37.4%
Physical Inactivity
36.6%
Current Smoking
22.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
20.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
18.8%
Diabetes
15.3%
Binge Drinking
14%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.8%

Preventive Care

Annual Checkup 78.3%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
11.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
9.6%
Stroke
5.1%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
OZARKS HEALTHCARE
WEST PLAINS · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of West Plains, MO? ▼
West Plains, MO has a population of 12,285 people, located in Howell County, Missouri.
What is the median household income in West Plains? ▼
The median household income in West Plains, MO is $44,002 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 28.1%.
What is the median home value in West Plains? ▼
The median home value in West Plains, MO is $169,900. Median rent is $810/month.
What are the top health concerns in West Plains? ▼
The top health indicators in West Plains include High Blood Pressure (41.1%), Short Sleep Duration (38.9%), Obesity (37.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in West Plains? ▼
West Plains has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in West Plains? ▼
The median age in West Plains, MO is 36.3 years. 17.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

West Plains, MO is located in Howell County, Missouri. With a population of 12K and a $44,002 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the West Plains area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Missouri

Real-time AQI for every monitored Missouri location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Mountain Home, AR 12K Batesville, AR 11K Fort Leonard Wood, MO 15K Rolla, MO 20K Lebanon, MO 15K Harrison, AR 13K Branson, MO 11K Ozark, MO 19K
All cities in Missouri → Compare West Plains vs Mountain Home → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using West Plains's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the West Plains area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare West Plains against Missouri peers on any ranking lens. Explore Missouri

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Howell County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.