Riddle Bridge, Spanning Gasconada River
Dixon’s story
157 years in pictures
Census counts: 404 in 1890, 1,232 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1944 on.
- 1869Dixon is settled
DixonMO
A town of 1,222, settled in 1869.
Population
1,222
2025 Census estimate · −0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$216K
+7.2% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
33.6
years
Jobs based here
557
Balanced
Is Dixon a good place to live?
Dixon’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. On cost of living, just 28 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. Dixon's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 85% of U.S. towns. Dixon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dixon stand out
Where Dixon beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Dixon has shrunk 21% since 2010
1,549 counted in 2010 and 1,232 in 2020; an estimated 1,222 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Dixon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Dixon is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Jobs & income$50K median household income; 557 jobs based hereD−Open →HealthPhelps County Regional Medical Center 17.1 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 6.1% of households have no car; 4.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History2 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
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 33.6; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dixon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dixon, and how to reach them.
PowerGascosage Electric Coop13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPulaski County Pwsd 3No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dixon’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 herePulaskiPulaski County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2025
ZIP code6545965459 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 Dixon.
HealthC−
Dixon is less healthy than 83% of U.S. towns
Dixon beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Dixon, above both Missouri’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (14%). 33% of adults get no exercise outside work in Dixon.
17%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Dixon | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Dixon | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.3% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.8% |
Phelps County Regional Medical Center
17.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
Public schools in Dixon fall behind 74% of Missouri districts
Its public schools are run by the Dixon R-I school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
26%of MO districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 383 | B |
| Dixon HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 271 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Dixon
Dixon has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 23° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–45°
Spring44–67°
Summer65–87°
Fall46–68°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A+
Homes in Dixon are worth about $216K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Dixon home is worth about $216,000, up 7.2% in a year, 19% below the Missouri typical home. At $644 a month, Dixon’s median rent is against $971 a month in Missouri’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
$216KZillow home value
| Dixon | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $644 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Dixon$216K
Missouri$265K
+7.2%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 1.5 jobs for every working resident, Dixon draws in 492 commuters
Most working residents leave Dixon for work: only 17% work in town. 22% of Dixon residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Rolla (8%), Waynesville (7%) and St.
17%work in town
| Dixon | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 13% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dixon17%
Rolla8%
Waynesville7%
St. Robert6%
Jefferson City5%
19 mi
median commute distance
557
jobs based in Dixon
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Dixon
Dixon's reported crime rate is close to Missouri's. Dixon’s property crime rate is 30.4 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes.
| Dixon | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 30.4 per 1,000 residents | 19.1 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Dixon2.5
Missouri5
U.S.4
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Dixon30.4
Missouri24.2
U.S.20
3
violent crimes reported in 2022
37
property crimes reported in 2022
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Dixon faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHeat waves
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 667 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dixon City Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dixon
20pages on Dixon
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 74% of MO districts · 3 schoolsSafety2.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2022)HealthC−Better than MO on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$216K typical home · up 7.2% in a yearWork & commuteD−$50K median household income · 557 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 52% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dixon; the nearest are
Missouri University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Rolla17.8 mi$14,984 in-state tuitionState Technical College of MissouriCommunity college · Public · Linn36 mi$8,160 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Dixon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Small town
1,222 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Dixon
City in Missouri, United States
Dixon is a city in northern Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, Dixon had a population of 1,232.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,168 ft
- ZIP code
- 65459
Questions about Dixon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dixon, 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+.
What is Dixon, MO known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Morrie Martin and Frank A. Rhea.