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Place dossier plate
SheetMO-MOUNTAIN-GROVE-MO · Mountain Grove, MO 4,494 pop · income 9th pct · 4 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Mountain Grove
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Mountain Grove on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Charleston · lowest
35,139
Charleston · lowest
35,139 median HH income
34.1% of the leader · rank #1
Mountain Grove · this city
41,875
Mountain Grove · this city
41,875 median HH income
40.6% of the leader · rank #2
Ashland · near
41,875
Ashland · near
41,875 median HH income
40.6% of the leader · rank #3
South Taft · near
41,875
South Taft · near
41,875 median HH income
40.6% of the leader · rank #4
Malone · near
41,875
Malone · near
41,875 median HH income
40.6% of the leader · rank #5
Minidoka · near
41,875
Minidoka · near
41,875 median HH income
40.6% of the leader · rank #6
Dexter · highest
103,182
Dexter · highest
103,182 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Mountain Grove on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 4,494.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Mountain Grove - the verdict
Nationally, Mountain Grove sits in the 9th percentile for household income and the 37th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
9th
percentile, household income
6th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
37th
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: Mountain Grove, MO
Missouri's Mountain Grove is a small town, with 4,494 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Mountain Grove households earn a median of $41,875 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 14.8%. Typical homes in Mountain Grove are valued around $89,300, and the median resident age is 42.5 years. Educational attainment runs 16.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 45.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 14 residential building permits were authorized in Mountain Grove (Building Boom), up 75% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Mountain Grove reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1807.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
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). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $972 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Missouri's average monthly utility costs around $219 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.6 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Mountain Grove's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to schools and households to within-city variation to population change to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Mountain Grove, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Mountain Grove?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1807.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 21% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the education layer cover for Mountain Grove?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 16.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
What can 4 Census tracts reveal inside Mountain Grove?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Mountain Grove?
Within Missouri, the closest population matches are Rogersville (4,496 residents, $51,375 income); Eldon (4,486 residents, $39,202 income); California (4,523 residents, $60,506 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hokes Bluff, AL (4,493 residents); Taylor Creek, FL (4,493 residents); Dexter, MI (4,495 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Mountain Grove growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +434 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +10.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 14 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+10.0%
2025 estimate
4,754
2020 estimate
4,320
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Mountain Grove?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 79.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
8.4%
Drive alone
79.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,566 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in Mountain Grove?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$41,875
Home value
$89,300
Value / income
2.1×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 14.8% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.8 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Missouri average
F
City profile score · Mountain Grove, MO
34/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A-
90.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
273 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
16.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
14.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$41,875
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Mountain Grove profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 83/100 (A-) · 90.8 index
Violent crime: 37/100 (F) · 273 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 24/100 (F) · 16.6%
Poverty rate: 23/100 (F) · 14.8%
Household income: 9/100 (F) · $41,875
Where Mountain Grove sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Mountain Grove's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Mountain Grove highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Mountain Grove, MO (this city): home $89,300, crime 1,807/100k
Hokes Bluff, AL : home $194,900, crime 487/100k
Farmville, NC : home $184,900, crime 3,475/100k
Rogersville, MO : home $205,900, crime 989/100k
Eldon, MO : home $116,900, crime 708/100k
Fredericktown, MO : home $120,200, crime 2,793/100k
Mount Vernon, MO : home $175,000, crime 1,829/100k
Charleston, MO : home $107,700, crime 2,361/100k
How does Mountain Grove compare to other US cities?
Here's how Mountain Grove stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income9% higher than other cities
Home value6% pricier than other cities
Median rent7% pricier than other cities
Safety37% 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: Mountain Grove ranks #139 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 Mountain Grove 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 Mountain Grove near the bottom of Missouri's cities
Among the 875 Missouri cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Mountain Grove ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Mountain Grove only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#660 of 842
21st percentile in Missouri
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 875
0th percentile in Missouri
Median Home Value
#581 of 833
30th percentile in Missouri
Poverty Rate
#270 of 875
69th percentile in Missouri
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#402 of 875
53rd percentile in Missouri
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
9th percentile nationally for median household income · 37th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Mountain Grove's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Mountain Grove'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 Mountain Grove's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$89,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 94% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Mountain Grove's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,149 of 15,516
More affordable than 86% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,033 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.1×, Mountain Grove sits in the affordable band:
national rank #2,149 of 15,516 and #2,033 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$41,875Mountain Grove, MO median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Mountain Grove, MO median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Mountain Grove, MO.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)16.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)45.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
4,494
Median Income
$41,875
Median Home Value
$89,300
Median Age
42.5
Poverty Rate
14.8%
Labor force participation
45.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.6%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1807.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
273.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1533.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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.
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Mountain Grove's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
4,320 residents
2021
4,421 residents
2022
4,538 residents
2023
4,644 residents
2024
4,702 residents
2025
4,754 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
14
housing units authorized
Single-Family
9
detached homes
Multifamily
5
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
8
8
0
$1.0M
2020
9
9
0
$1.2M
2021
6
4
2
$0.9M
2022
28
24
4
$2.5M
2023
23
11
12
$2.6M
2024
14
9
5
$1.8M
Permit volume increased 75% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
79.4%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
8.9%
Work from Home
8.4%
Based on 1,566 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Missouri statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $219
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Missouri at $219 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Missouri statewide averages, not a meter reading for Mountain Grove. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Missouri's BEA cost-of-living index is 90.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Mountain Grove is $972/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Missouri statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Missouri statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Mountain Grove sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Mountain Grove compares to similar-size Missouri cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.