AlmaMO
A town of 392, settled in 1878.
Is Alma a good place to live?
Alma has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
392 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Alma: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alma, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alma.
Alma stands out in Missouri and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
Jobs in Alma fell by 50 from 2013 to 2023, to 31. The top destinations are Kansas City (19%), Higginsville (15%) and Lexington (6%). For residents locally, the share who live below the poverty line is 9.6%.
| Alma | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 13% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.6% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The schools Alma’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Santa Fe R-X school district. Alma’s only public school teaches 154 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Lutheran School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 123 | – |
| Santa Fe HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 154 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Top of a low hazard risk in Alma: inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Alma households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2011. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 38% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 30% to cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fewer young adults than Missouri overall
In Alma, 23% of residents are 65 or older. 36% of Alma adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, where Missouri’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 29%. Since 2020, Alma has lost 2% of its people, to 392 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Alma | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 22% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 41% and 65% women
The Census survey reached too few of Alma’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±12.2 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Alma | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.6% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.1% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.7% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 24.5% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Alma
Expect July afternoons of 88° and January nights of 20°, with about 14 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical home in Alma: about $223K
The midpoint rent for Alma comes to $823 a month, against $971 a month in Missouri’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Among households locally, 85% own their home. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 7.5%.
| Alma | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $823 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Crime reported in Alma
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. No violent or property crimes were reported in Alma in 2024.
Alma is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
| Alma | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Alma | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.3% | 9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 13.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alma Lions Club Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Alma Central Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Alma
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Alma; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Alma residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
99% of working residents leave Alma for work
Where Alma’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Alma
City in Missouri, United States
Alma is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States. The population was 400 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1878
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 801 ft
- ZIP code
- 64001
Questions about Alma
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alma, MO a good place to live?
Alma has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Alma, MO known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Lou Fette and Oscar Horstmann.