MOMap-doton-Noel, 2004
Noel’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1886Noel is settled
NoelMO
A town of 2,181, settled in 1886.
Population
2,181
2025 Census estimate · +2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$175K
+7.6% in a year
Household income
$41K
median
Median age
28.1
years
Jobs based here
2,097
A job hub
Is Noel a good place to live?
The best of Noel’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Noel, against 14% in Missouri’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 5 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Only 21 of Missouri’s 390 towns score lower on civic life. Noel has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Noel stand out
Where Noel beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,097
Residents who work743
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 97% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Typical home value
Noel$175K
Missouri$265K
Cost of livingA
3.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 91% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better9 too close to call22 worse
| Widest gap | Noel | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 23% | 8.7% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Trails MO on 22 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Noel has grown 19% since 2010
1,832 counted in 2010 and 2,124 in 2020; an estimated 2,181 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Noel grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Noel is from typical.
HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette 9.1 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & income$41K median household incomeD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 8.7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Cost of livingAOpen →SafetyB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailDOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 91° summer afternoons, 9″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 28.1; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Noel: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Noel, and how to reach them.
PowerNew-Mac Electric Coop13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLiberty Water NoelNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Noel’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 hereMcDonaldMcDonald County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code6485464854 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 Noel.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults say their health is fair or poor in Noel than in most of Missouri or the rest of the country
35% of Noel adults say their health is fair or poor, above both Missouri’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (19%). 38% of adults feel lonely in Noel. Among 248 Missouri towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Noel.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Noel | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 30% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better9 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Noel | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.9% | 8.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 23% | 8.7% |
Ozarks Community Hospital of Gravette
9.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Noel’s public schools trail 52% of Missouri districts
Its public schools are run by the McDonald Co. R-I school district. Its one school is below.
48%of MO districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noel Elem.Largest public middle schoolGrades 3–8 | Grades 3–8 | 349 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 2.8 jobs for every working resident, Noel draws in 1,869 commuters
About one in 3 of Noel’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Noel is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Noel grew to 2,097 in 2023, 1,891 more than in 2013.
31%work in town
| Noel | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Noel31%
Southwest City16%
Bentonville4%
Rogers3%
Springfield3%
7 mi
median commute distance
2,097
jobs based in Noel
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 5% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Noel stands out in Missouri and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Noel’s FEMA risk score is 92 of 100. Since 1986, 197 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Noel.
92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
197
paid flood claims since 1986
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
A typical Noel home is worth about $175K
The typical Noel home is worth about $175,000, up 7.6% in a year, 34% below the Missouri typical home. 31% of Noel households own their home.
$175KZillow home value
| Noel | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 31% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $641 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Noel$175K
Missouri$265K
+7.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Noel
Noel has chilly winters and warm summers. No town among the 248 in Missouri we compare has a higher July high than Noel.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–50°
Spring46–70°
Summer67–89°
Fall48–71°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
52%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Noel3.2
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Noel8.2
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
52nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
18
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsD
Noel has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
1.0 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,339 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Noel
19pages on Noel
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 52% of MO districts · 1 schoolSafetyB−3.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than MO on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$175K typical home · up 7.6% in a yearWork & commuteD−$41K median household income · 2,097 jobs hereNatural hazardsD−FEMA risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Noel; the nearest are
Crowder CollegeCommunity college · Public · Neosho20.1 mi$6,180 in-state tuitionUniversity of ArkansasUniversity or college · Public · Fayetteville, AR36.9 mi$10,104 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Noel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,869 people come to Noel for work
Where Noel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,097jobs based in Noel
31%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Noel
City in McDonald County, Missouri, United States
Noel is a city on the Elk River and Butler and Mill creeks in McDonald County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,124 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,832 in 2010. The city is in the southwest corner of Missouri, just north of the Arkansas border.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 833 ft
- ZIP code
- 64854
- Area code
- 417
Questions about Noel
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Noel, 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.