Cooter High School, 2013
Cooter’s story
172 years in pictures
Census counts: 540 in 1920, 343 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
- 1854Cooter is settled
CooterMO
A town of 319, settled in 1854.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
319
2025 Census estimate · −7.8% since 2020
Median home value
$74K
Census ACS
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
42.6
years
Jobs based here
75
A commuter town
Is Cooter a good place to live?
No town among the 248 in Missouri we compare has a higher January low than Cooter. Cooter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
319 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cooter: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cooter, and how to reach them.
PowerUnion Electric13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPemiscot County Con Pwsd 1No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cooter’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 herePemiscotPemiscot County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6383963839 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 Cooter.
Natural hazards
In Cooter, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Missouri or U.S. town
At 94 of 100, Cooter’s FEMA risk score is against 54 of 100 in Missouri’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Since 1980, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cooter.
94risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
7
paid flood claims since 1980
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Cooter’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Cooter R-IV. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooter Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 79 | C |
| Cooter HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 122 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Cooter stands out in Missouri and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
0.9% of working residents work locally in Cooter, where Missouri’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 8%. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Cooter. The top destinations are Blytheville (15%), Steele (14%) and Caruthersville (6%).
1%work in town
| Cooter | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cooter1%
Blytheville15%
Steele14%
Caruthersville6%
Gosnell5%
13 mi
median commute distance
75
jobs based in Cooter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Cooter, expect mild winters and hot summers
Cooter has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Cooter is 90°F.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–49°
Spring50–70°
Summer69–89°
Fall51–72°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 24
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Cooter is
Cooter beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 23% of Cooter adults smoke cigarettes.
| Cooter | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Cooter | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 33% | 15.8% |
| More smokers | 23.2% | 16% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.6% | 13.7% |
Great River Medical Center
9.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cooter
16pages on Cooter
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cooter
About 0 of every 100 Cooter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Cooter for work
Where Cooter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
75jobs based in Cooter
1%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cooter
City in Missouri, United States
Cooter is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 343 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1854
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 262 ft
- ZIP code
- 63839
- Area code
- 573
Questions about Cooter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cooter, MO a good place to live?
Cooter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.