MOMap-doton-Merriam Woods, 2004
Merriam Woods’s story
36 years in pictures
Census counts: 601 in 1990, 2,006 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
- 1990Merriam Woods is settled
Merriam WoodsMO
A town of 2,084, settled in 1990.
Population
2,084
2025 Census estimate · +4.3% since 2020
Typical home
$176K
−1.6% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
53
A commuter town
Is Merriam Woods a good place to live?
Merriam Woods’ best subject grades are an A− for schools and the outdoors; its weakest is a D for incomes. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Merriam Woods, where Missouri’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 25 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on hazard risk. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country. Merriam Woods’ trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile, above both the Missouri town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 2 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on history. Merriam Woods's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns. Merriam Woods has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Merriam Woods stand out
Where Merriam Woods beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Merriam Woods$176K
Missouri$265K
Cost of livingA−
3.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 76% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and cold waves at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A growing town
Merriam Woods has grown 19% since 2010
1,761 counted in 2010 and 2,006 in 2020; an estimated 2,084 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Merriam Woods grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Merriam Woods is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthCox Medical Center Branson 9.5 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsBeat 80% of Missouri districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 5.8% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsA−Open →HistoryD−Open →Civic life1.1 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 34.4; 10% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Merriam Woods: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Merriam Woods, and how to reach them.
PowerWhite River Valley El Coop15.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTaney 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 Merriam Woods’ 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 hereTaneyTaney County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6574065740 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 Merriam Woods.
HealthD
For health, Merriam Woods earns a D
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Merriam Woods. Merriam Woods beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Merriam Woods.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Merriam Woods | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 30% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Merriam Woods | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.9% | 15.8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.3% | 13.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 12.1% | 8.7% |
Cox Medical Center Branson
In Branson · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Merriam Woods, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 2015, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Merriam Woods.
85risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHeat waves
8
paid flood claims since 2015
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Merriam Woods is valued at about $176K
The typical Merriam Woods home is worth about $176,000, down 1.6% in a year, 34% below the Missouri typical home.
$176KZillow home value
Typical home value
Merriam Woods$176K
Missouri$265K
−1.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Compared with most of Missouri and the rest of the country, fewer of Merriam Woods’ working residents work locally
0.4% of Merriam Woods working residents work locally. Since 2013, Merriam Woods has added 25 jobs, to 53 in 2023. The median household income in Merriam Woods is $52,000.
0%work in town
| Merriam Woods | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Merriam Woods0%
Branson33%
Springfield15%
Forsyth3%
Hollister3%
10 mi
median commute distance
53
jobs based in Merriam Woods
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Merriam Woods, expect four seasons and hot summers
Merriam Woods has chilly winters and warm summers. Merriam Woods’ July high is 90°F.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–48°
Spring45–69°
Summer65–88°
Fall46–71°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
In Merriam Woods, property crime runs lower than in the typical Missouri or U.S. town
Of the 171 Missouri towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Merriam Woods. Merriam Woods's reported crime rate is well below Missouri's. Only 2 of the 171 Missouri towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Merriam Woods.
| Merriam Woods | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Merriam Woods0
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Merriam Woods0
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4%conserved
4%
conserved · 38 of 966 acres
3.0 mi
of trails · 2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →Silver Dollar City and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Merriam Woods. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Theme parkSilver Dollar City
13 mi LakeTable Rock Lake
8 mi MuseumTitanic Museum10 mi CaveMarvel Cave
38 mi LandmarkChrist of the Ozarks
33 mi Zoo & aquariumWonders of Wildlife Museum & AquariumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Silver Dollar City: Nan Fry, CC BY 2.0 · Table Rock Lake: KTrimble (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Titanic Museum: Brad A. Totman, Public domain · Christ of the Ozarks: Bobak Ha'Eri, Public domain · Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium: Robert Lawton, CC BY-SA 2.5
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Merriam Woods
19pages on Merriam Woods
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 80% of MO districtsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than MO on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$176K typical home · down 1.6% in a yearWork & commuteD$52K median household income · 53 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Merriam Woods
About 1 of every 100 Merriam Woods residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Merriam Woods for work
Where Merriam Woods’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
53jobs based in Merriam Woods
0%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Merriam Woods
City in Missouri, United States
Merriam Woods is a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,006 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 866 ft
Merriam Woods’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Merriam Woods.
Rockaway BeachMerriam Woods
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merriam Woods | — | — | A− | — | A− | D |
| Rockaway Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Merriam Woods has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Merriam Woods reports no FBI crime data of its own. Rockaway Beach isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Merriam Woods with a neighbor →
Questions about Merriam Woods
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Merriam Woods, 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−.