2002 0102Image0006, 2010
Belle’s story
131 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1895Belle is settled
BelleMO
A town of 1,379, settled in 1895. 28% more nonprofits per person than the typical Missouri town.
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,379
2025 Census estimate · −0.1% since 2020
Typical home
$217K
+9.9% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
330
A commuter town
Is Belle a good place to live?
Belle’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. Among 243 Missouri towns, just 3 have a lower median rent than Belle. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. Only 16 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on the outdoors. Belle has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Belle stand out
Where Belle beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Belle4.8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MO town3.8
Civic lifeA
28% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Missouri town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Belle$217K
Missouri$265K
Cost of livingA
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 89% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,379 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Belle grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Belle is from typical.
Jobs & income$55K median household income; 330 jobs based hereDOpen →HealthPhelps County Regional Medical Center 23.3 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 18.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryC−Open →Civic life4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.4; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Belle: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belle, and how to reach them.
PowerUnion Electric13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBelle PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Belle’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMariesMaries County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6501365013 100%Census 2020
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 Belle.
HealthD
For health, Belle earns a D
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Belle, above both the Missouri town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Belle. Belle beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
7%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Belle | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better16 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Belle | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.9% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8% |
| More smokers | 22.3% | 16% |
Phelps County Regional Medical Center
23.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Belle’s public schools outperform 56% of Missouri districts
Its public schools are run by Maries Co. R-II. Its two schools are below.
56%of MO districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 259 | B+ |
| Belle HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 228 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Belle has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Belle for work: only 8% work in town. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Belle, where Missouri’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Belle’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
8%work in town
| Belle | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.1% | 13% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Belle8%
Jefferson City19%
Owensville7%
Rolla7%
St. James2%
31 mi
median commute distance
330
jobs based in Belle
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Belle
Belle has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 22° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–44°
Spring44–67°
Summer64–86°
Fall45–68°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 12
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
The typical home in Belle is valued at about $217K
The typical Belle home is worth about $217,000, up 9.9% in a year, 18% below the Missouri typical home. 56% of Belle households own their home.
$217KZillow home value
Typical home value
Belle$217K
Missouri$265K
+9.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Belle
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Belle
16pages on Belle
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Belle
About 5 of every 100 Belle residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri.
A shrinking town
Belle has shrunk 11% since 2010
1,545 counted in 2010 and 1,381 in 2020; an estimated 1,379 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Belle
City in Maries and Osage counties in Missouri, United States
Belle is a city in northeast Maries County and extending north into southeast Osage County in Missouri, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2020 census, down from 1,545 in 2010. The Osage County portion of Belle is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,027 ft
- ZIP code
- 65013
Questions about Belle
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Belle, MO a good place to live?
28% more nonprofits per person than the typical Missouri town.
Is Belle, MO expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.