Air conditioned cabins, 1979
Ellsinore’s story
158 years in pictures
Census counts: 238 in 1930, 416 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1979 and a map from 1940 on.
- 1868Ellsinore is settled
EllsinoreMO
A town of 421, settled in 1868.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
421
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Typical home
$209K
+5% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
32.9
years
Jobs based here
253
A job hub
Is Ellsinore a good place to live?
Ellsinore has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Ellsinore stand out
Where Ellsinore beats most towns.
Small town
421 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 7 attractions →Ozark National Scenic Riverways and 1 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ellsinore. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National RiverOzark National Scenic Riverways1.1M visitors a year24 mi Theme parkHydro Adventures
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ellsinore: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ellsinore, and how to reach them.
PowerOzark Border Electric Coop12.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEllsinore PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ellsinore’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 hereCarterCarter County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP code6393763937 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 Ellsinore.
Work & commute
With 1.9 jobs for every working resident, Ellsinore draws in 241 commuters
Most people who work leave Ellsinore to do it: just 9% work in town. The town’s typical journey to work stands at 28 minutes. Its typical household income is $52,000, below both Missouri’s towns ($62,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). It had 253 jobs in 2023, down 21 from 2013.
9%work in town
| Ellsinore | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9% | 13% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Ellsinore9%
Poplar Bluff16%
Van Buren4%
Campbell2%
Cape Girardeau2%
23 mi
median commute distance
253
jobs based in Ellsinore
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Ellsinore’s kids attend
East Carter Co. R-II runs its public schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. 3 public schools serve Ellsinore, with 698 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carter Co. R-II Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 364 | A− |
| East Carter Co. R-II HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 180 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Ellsinore stands out in Missouri and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Federal aid has come to Ellsinore households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025. 42% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 23%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
The typical home in Ellsinore: about $209K
Home values are up 5% over the year to September 2026. Ellsinore’s rent at the middle of the market is $688 a month, where Missouri’s towns sit at $971 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. For households locally, the share who own their home is 50%.
$209KZillow home value
| Ellsinore | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 33% | 43% | 48% |
| Median rent | $688 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Ellsinore$209K
Missouri$265K
+5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–47°
Spring45–69°
Summer65–87°
Fall46–70°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Ellsinore
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 Ellsinore in 2025.
Ellsinore is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Ellsinore is
In Ellsinore, nearly a third of adults get no exercise outside work. Among adults in the town, 16% report frequent physical distress.
| Ellsinore | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Ellsinore | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 8% |
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center
19.6 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 Ellsinore
19pages on Ellsinore
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ellsinore; the nearest are
Three Rivers CollegeCommunity college · Public · Poplar Bluff20.6 mi$4,950 in-state tuitionSoutheast Missouri State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Cape Girardeau71.9 mi$9,903 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Ellsinore residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri.
A job hub
Every workday, about 241 people come to Ellsinore for work
Where Ellsinore’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
253jobs based in Ellsinore
9%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ellsinore
City in Carter County, Missouri, United States
Ellsinore is a city in Carter County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ellsinore had a population of 416.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1888
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 745 ft
- ZIP code
- 63937
- Area code
- 573
Questions about Ellsinore
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ellsinore, MO a good place to live?
Ellsinore has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.