City profile · Missouri · Census ACS 2023

Bolivar, MO

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bolivar - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

10,996
Residents
$44,603
Median income
$188,700
Median home
$888
Median rent (state)

Bolivar - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Bolivar lands in the 12th percentile for household income and the 56th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

12th
percentile, household income
39th
percentile, home value
4th
percentile, median rent
56th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bolivar, MO

Missouri's Bolivar is a small town, with 10,996 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Bolivar brings in $44,603 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 12.3%. Home values in Bolivar run a median of $188,700, and the median resident age is 33.4 years. Educational attainment runs 25.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 49.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 188 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1006% from five years earlier. Bolivar reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1197.6 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Bolivar's yearly average temperature at 56.0°F with 46.4 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in Missouri run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Missouri at 90.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $888 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Missouri run around $219, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).

Population

10,996 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Missouri

Median Household Income

$44,603 /yr

Poverty 12.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Missouri average

How does Bolivar compare to other US cities?

Where Bolivar sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 12% higher than other cities
Home value 39% pricier than other cities
Median rent 4% pricier than other cities
Safety 56% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Missouri and the picture shifts: Bolivar ranks #100 of 234 Missouri cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Bolivar against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Missouri only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Missouri-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Bolivar near the bottom of Missouri's cities

Among the 875 Missouri cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bolivar ranks #569 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bolivar only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#606 of 842
28th percentile in Missouri
Median Gross Rent
#569 of 875
0th percentile in Missouri
Median Home Value
#190 of 833
77th percentile in Missouri
Poverty Rate
#343 of 875
60th percentile in Missouri
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#211 of 875
76th percentile in Missouri

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Missouri only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

12thIncome percentile
56thSafety percentile

12th percentile nationally for median household income · 56th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Bolivar's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Bolivar's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 49 Avg. percentile National median
Bolivar's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Bolivar's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$188,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 61% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bolivar $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bolivar, MO Bolivar, MO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bolivar, MO-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bolivar, MO median $44,603/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bolivar, MO's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bolivar, MO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 25.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 49.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
10,996
Median Income
$44,603
Median Home Value
$188,700
Median Age
33.4
Poverty Rate
12.3%
Labor force participation
49.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1197.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
173.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1024.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
56.0°F
Annual Precipitation
46.4"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,500 residents11,000 residents11,500 residents12,000 residents12,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 10,803 residents 11,994 residents ▲ +11.0%
Bolivar's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
188
housing units authorized
Single-Family
84
detached homes
Multifamily
104
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
17.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 17
2020 26
2021 29
2022 70
2023 78
2024 188

Permit volume increased 1006% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.5%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
6.5%
Work from Home
9.5%
Other
1.7%

Based on 4,388 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Missouri - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$72
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$219
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Missouri state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Missouri state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bolivar sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$888/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
54.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Missouri

Kearney
10,696 people
Bridgeton
11,372 people
Bellefontaine Neighbors
10,562 people
Maryville
10,556 people
Smithville
10,552 people
Mexico
11,487 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bolivar's 10,996 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Brandon, SD
10,996 people
Elgin, TX
10,996 people
North Bellport, NY
10,999 people
Beachwood, NJ
11,002 people
Brandywine, MD
10,989 people
Huntertown, IN
10,984 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bolivar's $44,603 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Twisp, WA
$44,607 median income
Golf Manor, OH
$44,598 median income
Sharon, PA
$44,595 median income
Laurel, DE
$44,593 median income
Byromville, GA
$44,583 median income
Osburn, ID
$44,583 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bolivar, MO Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bolivar, MO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 93.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.5% White 93.0% Black or African American 0.8% Asian 0.5% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 5.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bolivar compares to nearby Missouri cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bolivar (this city) 10,996 $44,603
Kearney 10,696 $102,523
Bridgeton 11,372 $73,320
Bellefontaine Neighbors 10,562 $48,354
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MO FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bolivar, MO?

What is the population of Bolivar, MO? +

Bolivar, MO has a population of 10,996 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bolivar, MO? +

Median annual household income in Bolivar runs $44,603, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bolivar? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bolivar; the closest available measure is the Missouri state average, a cost of living index of 90.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Missouri vary by metro area.

Is Bolivar, MO safe? +

Bolivar has a total crime rate of 1197.6 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Bolivar, MO? +

The median home value in Bolivar is $188,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Bolivar? +

The average annual temperature in Bolivar runs 56.0°F, 46.4 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.