City · Missouri
Belle, Missouri
Belle, city, mostly in Maries County (84.8% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Osage County, Missouri. Belle had 1,379 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,381 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,246 (±293). GEOID 2904150.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,379
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,381 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,246 ±293
Median household income
$55,192
±$11,457 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$151,000
±$21,689 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
$524
±$94 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Belle and what county is it in?
Belle is a city mostly in Maries County (84.8% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Osage County, Missouri. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 1,034 residents per square mile in 2020.
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Maries County | 1,171 | 84.8% |
| Osage County | 210 | 15.2% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Belle, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,379 people lived in Belle on July 1, 2025, down 0.1% since 2020, while Missouri grew 1.9%. The 2020 Census counted 1,381 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,246 (±293).
| Measure | Belle | Maries County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,246 ±293 | 8,450 | no clear change |
| Households | 542 ±128 | 3,428 | −176 |
| Average household size | 2.27 ±0.32 | 2.44 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 647 ±139 | 4,261 | no clear change |
Belle's population since 2000
From 1,344 in 2000 to 1,379 in 2025: up 2.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Belle as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Belle?
The median resident of Belle is 35.4 years old; 22.6% are under 18 and 12.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.7%.
| Measure | Belle | Maries County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 ±6.2 | 44.9 | −11.4 |
| Under 18 years | 22.6% ±6.5 pts | 20.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.4% ±5.0 pts | 22.0% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±6.5 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.2% ±3.5 pts | 2.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.1% ±4.5 pts | 91.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±2.9 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±2.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.1% ±3.3 pts | 13.2% | – |
| With a disability | 25.5% ±5.7 pts | 22.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.3% ±4.4 pts | 5.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.2% ±4.7 pts | 87.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.5% ±6.1 pts | 16.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.9% ±2.7 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.3% ±7.8 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Belle earn?
Half of Belle's 542 households earn less than $55,192 a year (±$11,457), against $59,455 in Maries County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $45,272 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 21.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Belle | Maries County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,192 ±$11,457 | $59,455 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $68,257 ±$14,290 | $75,171 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,554 ±$5,989 | $31,243 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 21.8% ±10.1 pts | 13.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 24.2% ±22.9 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 21.2% ±10.2 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.0% ±3.3 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.3% ±5.6 pts | 78.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Belle?
Owners occupy 56.3% of Belle's occupied homes and renters 43.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $151,000 by its owner (±$21,689). The median renter pays $524 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Belle | Maries County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $151,000 ±$21,689 | $219,100 | +$30,761 |
| Median gross rent | $524 ±$94 | $590 | −$191 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 12.4% ±10.0 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $878 ±$172 | $1,261 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.3% ±11.2 pts | 78.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.7% ±11.2 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Housing units | 647 ±139 | 4,261 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.1% ±5.4 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.7% ±9.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 83.6% ±7.6 pts | 76.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.0% ±3.4 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.4% ±2.7 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.5% ±4.2 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.6% ±10.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Belle building?
Builders took permits for 4 new housing units in Belle in 2025 (4 in single-family houses), 2.9 per 1,000 residents against 2.8 across Missouri.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Belle work and get to work?
74.6% of Belle's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.5 minutes.
| Measure | Belle | Maries County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.7% ±8.5 pts | 54.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% ±5.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 74.6% ±12.8 pts | 79.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.4% ±10.8 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±6.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.0% ±6.2 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.5 min ±9.3 | 34.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Belle?
No census tract lies mostly in Belle; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8801Maries County | 2,531 | $51,214 |
| Tract 4904Osage County | 2,390 | $83,095 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Belle) · Census block assignment files
How does Belle compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Belle is the 9,073rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 290th-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Belle ranks 233rd of 416 places in Missouri with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 290th | 936 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 235th | 394 |
| Residents per square mile | 214th | 420 |
| Median household income | 233rd | 416 |
| Per capita income | 239th | 420 |
| Median home value | 234th | 416 |
| Median gross rent | 384th | 398 |
| Poverty rate | 86th | 373 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 361st | 404 |
| Median age | 304th | 420 |
| Owner-occupied share | 332nd | 418 |
| Travel time to work | 65th | 420 |
Belle's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Belle with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Belle?
24 of the 57 figures for Belle on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Belle are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Belle.