West Plains is a city of 12,441 people in Missouri. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The poverty rate is 28.1%, above the 12.5% national rate. Households here earn about 38% less than in Missouri as a whole. The foreign-born share is 0%. 52% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $44,002, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 38%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about West Plains
What changed most since 1990
White share98.0% → 94.1%(−3.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age38.4 → 36.3(−2.1 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Homes owned by their occupants61.6% → 52.1%(−9.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
West Plains's population equals 31% of Howell County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 8.0% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 19% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)38.1%(278)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.5%(135)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era20.1%(147)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War12.1%(88)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 730 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
West Plains, decade by decade
West Plains population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
8,913
$36,584
$90,723
9.8%
4.9
2000
10,866
$43,942
$123,144
13.4%
12.5
2010
11,986
$45,747
$138,103
17.8%
14.9
2020
12,184
$45,032
$115,629
22.4%
26.4
2024
12,441
$44,002
$169,900
17.1%
14.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
