Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ozark grades B+ overall, 64th of 247 graded towns in Missouri, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 94% of the state's. It also does better than most on safety: crime is low: it reports less per resident than 69% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $322K for a typical one and 5 times the Springfield metro’s $65K median household income. Ozark is home to Evangel University-James River Assembly of God Church. 28% of residents are under 18 in Ozark, above both Missouri’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). Ozark has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District and Smallin Cave Historic District.
Where Ozark beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| West Elem. | K–4 | 584 |
| East Elem. | K–4 | 515 |
| North Elem. | K–4 | 514 |
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Evangel University-James River Assembly of God Church | 81 |
Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District17,820 counted in 2010 and 21,284 in 2020; an estimated 23,544 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 10.7% since 2020, after 19.4% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Ozark is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 235 in 1880, 21,284 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ozark, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Ozark.
Its public schools are run by Ozark R-VI. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozark JR. HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 943 | A |
| Ozark HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,789 | A |
| East Elem.Top results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 515 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
At 11.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 87% of Missouri’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 250 to 200 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Ozark is 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Ozark | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Ozark home is worth about $323,000, up 2.1% in a year, 22% above the Missouri typical home. 38% of Ozark renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| Ozark | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 38% | 43% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,097 a month | $970 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Ozark has chilly winters and warm summers. Ozark’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Ozark for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Ozark grew to 6,810 in 2023, 648 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Springfield (52%), Nixa (4%) and Branson (3%).
| Ozark | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 8% | 9% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Children under 18 are 28% of residents (22% statewide). 15% of residents are 65 or older in Ozark. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Missouri.
| Ozark | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.8 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 22% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.8 points). Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Ozark | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.9% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.1% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.3% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.5% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Ozark beats the Missouri average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Ozark | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Ozark | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.4% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.4% | 6.8% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.9% | 77.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Finley River Park, at 36 acres.
| Ozark | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Neal and Betty Grubaugh Park | 0.4 mi | 14 |
| 2. Finley River Park | — | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ozark.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ozark. Close and well known come first.
26 mi Theme parkSilver Dollar City
33 mi LakeTable Rock Lake
28 mi MuseumTitanic Museum8 mi MuseumRiverbluff Cave
11 mi Zoo & aquariumWonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium26 mi CaveMarvel CaveSilver 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 · Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium: Robert Lawton, CC BY-SA 2.5
8 within 15 miles of the center of Ozark
About 4 of every 100 Ozark residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Missouri, U.S.
Ozark is a city in and the county seat of Christian County, Missouri, United States, that is on Finley Creek. Its population was 21,284 as of the 2020 census. Ozark is also the third largest city in the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Area, and is centered along a business loop of US 65, where it intersects with MO 14.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Ozark.
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozark | #64 | B+ | C+ | B+ | A | B |
| Nixa | #12 | A | C+ | A− | A+ | B+ |
| Fremont Hills | — | — | C | — | A | B |
Fremont Hills has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fremont Hills reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Ozark with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Ozark grades B+ overall, better than 74% of U.S. towns and #64 of 247 in Missouri. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and A for schools.
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