West Plains, MO

Census Place

2024 Population

12,441

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

36.3

6.14% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

28.1%

9.34% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$44,002

10.3% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

West Plains, MO is home to a population of 12.4k people, from which 99.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.322% of West Plains, MO residents were born outside of the country (40 people).

In 2024, there were 27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.7k people) in West Plains, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 434 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 120 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.7%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.7% of West Plains, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in West Plains, MO was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in West Plains, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Plains, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
11.7k ± 158
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
434 ± 108
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
120 ± 39

0.241%

Hispanic Population

30 people

0.241% of the people in West Plains, MO are hispanic (30 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in West Plains, MO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,470 ± 5,042 people
India
24,378 ± 3,826 people
China
16,113 ± 3,112 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 42,470 Missouri residents, followed by India with 24,378 and China with 16,113.

Foreign-Born Population

0.322%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

40 people

0.429%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

53 people

As of 2024, 0.322% of West Plains, MO residents (40 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in West Plains, MO was 0.429%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in West Plains, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
278 ± 201
Gulf War (1990s)
122 ± 92
Vietnam
115 ± 69

West Plains, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.28 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in West Plains, MO.

Economy

The economy of West Plains, MO employs 5.42k people. In 2024, the largest industries in West Plains, MO were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,032 people), Educational Services (756 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (542 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($102,699), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($102,699), and Manufacturing ($48,750).

Employment

Occupations

5.42k

2024 Value

± 685

8.85%

1 Year growth

± 16.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Plains, MO grew at a rate of 8.85%, from 4.98k employees to 5.42k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Plains, MO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (893 people), Sales & Related Occupations (581 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (553 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Plains, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

5.42k

2024 Value

± 685

8.85%

1 Year growth

± 16.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Plains, MO grew at a rate of 8.85%, from 4.98k employees to 5.42k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Plains, MO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,032 people), Educational Services (756 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (542 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Plains, MO, though some of these residents may live in West Plains, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,752

Median earning men ± $6,259

$29,573

Median earning women ± $3,614

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($65,804), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,083), and Manufacturing ($48,952).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,369), Public Administration ($39,911), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($34,750).

Education

The student population of West Plains, MO in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 670 male students and 1,339 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in West Plains, MO are White (279 and 89.4%), Hispanic or Latino (11 and 3.53%), Two or More Races (7 and 2.24%), and Asian (5 and 1.6%).

The largest universities in West Plains, MO by number of degrees awarded are Missouri State University-West Plains (258 and 82.7%) and Southern Missouri Technical Institute (54 and 17.3%).

The most popular majors in West Plains, MO are General Studies (68 and 21.8%), Registered Nursing (65 and 20.8%), and Other Teacher Education & Professional Development (31 and 9.94%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 2,009 students enrolled in West Plains, MO, 33.3% men and 66.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,722 records, of which 67.1% were women and 32.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
68 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
65 degrees awarded
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development
31 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in West Plains, MO was General Studies with 68 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in West Plains, MO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Missouri State University-West Plains
258 degrees awarded
Southern Missouri Technical Institute
54 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Missouri State University-West Plains with 258 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 97 men were awarded degrees from institutions in West Plains, MO, which is 0.451 times less than the 215 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 279 degrees mean that there were 25.4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 11 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($4,760) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,176) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,012) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in West Plains, MO was $169,900 in 2024, which is 0.511 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $158,700 to $169,900, a 7.06% increase. The homeownership rate in West Plains, MO is 52.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in West Plains, MO have an average commute time of 21.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Plains, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$169,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,209

$2,634

Median Property Taxes

±$385

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In West Plains, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in West Plains, MO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

52.1%

Homeownership

2024

67%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 52.1% of the housing units in West Plains, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 48.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in West Plains, MO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$44,002

Median Household Income

± $6,769

5.05k

Number of Households

± 606

In 2024, the median household income of the 5.05k households in West Plains, MO grew to $44,002 from the previous year's value of $39,897.

The following chart displays the households in West Plains, MO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for West Plains, MO is from Missouri.

0.45

2024 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2024, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.34% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Missouri across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.1%)
Carpooled (14.4%)
Worked At Home (3.58%)

In 2024, 79.1% of workers in West Plains, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.4%) and those who worked at home (3.58%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Plains, MO have a shorter commute time (21.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.5% of the workforce in West Plains, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in West Plains, MO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in West Plains, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in West Plains, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

28.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Plains, MO (3.36k out of 12k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 12 - 14.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in West Plains, MO is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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