Population 20,668 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Plains
Household size in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in West Plains run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has edged down from 2.50 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the east.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.1 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in West Plains are younger than 41.1 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in West Plains: 16.8% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. West Plains has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Missouri cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in West Plains
Renters in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.7% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.4% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.8% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in West Plains is about as common as it is nationally: 36.8% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Missouri as a whole (31.9%). Among homeowners, 49.2% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.2 points, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in West Plains as nationally: 9.9%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 3.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in West Plains is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $559 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $600 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $666 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $835 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$276 | +$383 | +$606 |
Rent in West Plains runs $835 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $276 a month since 2006–10, up 49%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in West Plains
Bachelor's degrees in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.3% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in West Plains have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.3% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.1% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.8% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.8% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in West Plains never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. West Plains has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Missouri cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in West Plains
| Period | West Plains | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.7%, unemployment in West Plains is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
West Plains compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Plains | 2.44 | 41.1 | 16.8% | 36.8% | 9.9% | 1984 | $835 | 19.0% | 86.8% | 4.7% |
| Olden | 2.26 | 48.9 | 10.7% | 17.8% | 6.6% | 1992 | $703 | 20.0% | 89.3% | 1.2% |
| South Fork | 2.31 | 51.7 | 11.0% | 8.2% | 13.2% | 1989 | $812 | 20.0% | 88.0% | 2.0% |
| White Church | 2.85 | 43.5 | 12.6% | 17.5% | 12.2% | 1992 | $685 | 20.3% | 84.5% | 4.2% |
| Brandsville | 2.68 | 45.9 | 7.2% | 15.4% | 15.9% | 1989 | $666 | 20.0% | 89.2% | 4.1% |
| Pomona | 2.50 | 46.2 | 10.9% | 16.9% | 8.2% | 1989 | $686 | 21.0% | 89.2% | 3.9% |
| Pottersville | 3.13 | 35.1 | 28.6% | 18.8% | 7.4% | 1992 | $764 | 25.7% | 94.3% | 1.0% |
| Peace Valley | 2.60 | 48.2 | 9.6% | 17.1% | 12.4% | 1987 | $658 | 17.4% | 87.5% | 3.2% |
| Crider | 2.96 | 36.6 | 16.6% | 16.9% | 9.8% | 1993 | $760 | 24.6% | 89.1% | 5.0% |
| Siloam Springs | 2.74 | 42.1 | 9.0% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 1995 | $758 | 25.1% | 86.2% | 6.6% |
| Rover | 3.00 | 48.6 | 13.5% | 23.1% | 25.9% | 1981 | $808 | 10.1% | 81.2% | 7.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Charleston, IL · Voorhees, NJ · Vincent, CA · Circleville, OH · Ciales, PR · Choctaw, OK · Chesterton, IN · Cheney, WA · Chehalis, WA · Charlestown, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up West Plains. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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