Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,472, settled in 1824. 2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Missouri town.
Trash & recyclingBowling Green gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $233K, 4.2 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades B− overall, 118th of 247 graded towns in Missouri. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $53K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Bowling Green, above both Missouri’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On hazard risk, just 20 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. James Beauchamp Clark House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Bowling Green beats most towns.
5,334 counted in 2010 and 4,195 in 2020; an estimated 4,472 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 6.8% since 2020, after a 21.4% drop in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Bowling Green is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
James Beauchamp Clark House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 319 in 1850, 4,195 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1937 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bowling Green, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Bowling Green.
Bowling Green trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and trades workers with Hannibal and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the Missouri rate.
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Bowling Green. Bowling Green beats the Missouri average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 34% of adults get no exercise outside work in Bowling Green.
| Bowling Green | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 30% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Bowling Green | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.4% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.4% | 13.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Bowling Green R-I school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Bowling Green High, with 373 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 472 | B− |
| Bowling Green HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 373 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Bowling Green has chilly winters and warm summers. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 4 have a lower July high than Bowling Green.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bowling Green has about as many jobs (1,869) as working residents, but only 344 people both live and work here.
About one in 5 of Bowling Green’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Hannibal (6%), O'Fallon (4%) and Louisiana (4%).
| Bowling Green | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bowling Green's reported crime rate is well below Missouri's. The violent crime rate in Bowling Green is 0.4 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Bowling Green | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 6.7 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $233K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 31 miles. The median property tax bill is $782, against $1,948 across Missouri, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
52% of Bowling Green households own their home. Typical home values rose 8.4% in the year to September 2026. Bowling Green’s median rent is $800 a month.
| Bowling Green | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $800 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Bowling Green City Park, at 23 acres.
| Bowling Green | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bowling Green City Park | 0.7 mi | 23 |
| 2. 15th St Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Bowling Green; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Bowling Green residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
7 notable people were born in Bowling Green.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bowling Green grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #118 of 247 in Missouri. It grades D for health and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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−.
7 notable people were born here, including Virginia Kirtley and Bennett Champ Clark.