Most of Merriam Woods was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2001. Below: maps from 1956 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Merriam Woods is among the newest of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Merriam Woods’ overall grade.
Missouri towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Missouri town has 2.4 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Merriam Woods’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D−. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Merriam Woods’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Merriam Woods yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
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.
Its first post office opened in 1990. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,761 to 2,006 (+14%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Merriam Woods. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1956Branson sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Merriam Woods.
People over time
Merriam Woods, census by census
Grew from 601 people in 1990 to 2,006 in 2020, 3 times over.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Merriam Woods’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Merriam Woods
Nobody well known was born in Merriam Woods itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The Merriam Woods post office opened in 1990, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Merriam Woods rank for history?
Merriam Woods is among the newest of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Merriam Woods?
0.0% of Merriam Woods’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 2001.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2004
