City profile · Missouri · Census ACS 2023

Shell Knob, MO

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

1,445
Residents
$51,852
Median income
$304,700
Median home
$923
Median rent (state)

Shell Knob - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Shell Knob places in the 22nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

22nd
percentile, household income
66th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Shell Knob, MO

1,445 people live in Shell Knob, Missouri - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Shell Knob households earn a median of $51,852 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 10.6%. Shell Knob's housing stock carries a median value of $304,700, and the median resident age is 59.5 years. 20.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 45.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

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 $923 monthly. 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 76.7 out of 100 (High).

Population

1,445 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Missouri

Median Household Income

$51,852 /yr

Poverty 10.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Missouri average

How does Shell Knob compare to other US cities?

Here's how Shell Knob stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 22% higher than other cities
Home value 66% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Shell Knob's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Missouri, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

22ndIncome percentile

22nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Shell Knob's home value compares nationally

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

$304,700 34th percentile more affordable than 34% 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%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Shell Knob $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 - Shell Knob, MO Shell Knob, MO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Shell Knob, 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 Shell Knob, MO median $51,852/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%
Shell Knob, 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 Shell Knob, MO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.6%

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
1,445
Median Income
$51,852
Median Home Value
$304,700
Median Age
59.5
Poverty Rate
10.6%
Labor force participation
45.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.2%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
59.9%
Carpool
16.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
19.4%
Other
4.5%

Based on 561 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 Shell Knob sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$923/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
76.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Missouri

Steele
1,449 people
Princeton
1,434 people
Edina
1,420 people
Bel-Nor
1,472 people
Pierce City
1,472 people
Belle
1,476 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Shell Knob's 1,445 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Marshall, AR
1,445 people
Lake Riverside, CA
1,445 people
Lacoochee, FL
1,445 people
Milo, ME
1,445 people
Bruce, MS
1,445 people
Bonner-West Riverside, MT
1,445 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Shell Knob's $51,852 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Randleman, NC
$51,852 median income
Lewisport, KY
$51,847 median income
Levelland, TX
$51,847 median income
Dyersburg, TN
$51,846 median income
Sutherlin, OR
$51,860 median income
Pluckemin, NJ
$51,863 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Shell Knob, 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 Shell Knob, MO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 74.5% 6.9% 16.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 14.4% White 74.5% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 1.0% American Indian 6.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.9% Two or more races 16.6% 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 Shell Knob 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
Shell Knob (this city) 1,445 $51,852
Steele 1,449 $33,750
Princeton 1,434 $55,066
Edina 1,420 $42,125
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MO NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Shell Knob, MO?

What is the population of Shell Knob, MO? +

The population of Shell Knob, MO stands at 1,445 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Shell Knob, MO? +

In Shell Knob, the typical household earns $51,852 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Shell Knob? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Shell Knob; 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.

What is the median home value in Shell Knob, MO? +

A typical home in Shell Knob is worth $304,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, 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 Editorial

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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.