Shell KnobMO
A town of 1,486, settled in 1872.
Is Shell Knob a good place to live?
Shell Knob’s weakest subject grade is a D for incomes. Shell Knob’s median age is 59.6 years, above both Missouri’s towns (38.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 19 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on walkability. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 44% of the land in Shell Knob is conserved, against 2.1% in Missouri’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 31 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on history. Shell Knob has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,486 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Shell Knob grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Shell Knob is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Shell Knob: who provides what
Shell Knob is unincorporated, so Barry County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Shell Knob.
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Shell Knob
3.3 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Shell Knob’s public schools trail 56% of Missouri districts
Its public schools are run by the Shell Knob 78 school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Knob Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 158 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests
Older than Missouri overall
People 65 and older are 38% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 8% of residents (22% statewide). 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Missouri.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.5 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Shell Knob | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.4% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.1% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.6% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.2% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.1% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.7% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.9% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.1% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
A larger share of adults have diabetes in Shell Knob than in most of Missouri or the rest of the country
19% of adults have diabetes in Shell Knob. Only 5 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Shell Knob. 22% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Shell Knob.
| Shell Knob | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Shell Knob | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.9% | 16.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9% | 12.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 12.9% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Shell Knob
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Shell Knob’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Shell Knob for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Shell Knob grew to 274 in 2023, 88 more than in 2013. Shell Knob’s median household income is $55,000.
| Shell Knob | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 14% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Shell Knob’s typical home value is about $323K
The typical Shell Knob home is worth about $323,000, up 1.8% in a year, 22% above the Missouri typical home. 86% of Shell Knob households own their home.
| Shell Knob | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,274 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Shell Knob, expect four seasons and hot summers
Shell Knob has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Shell Knob is 90°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Silver Dollar City and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Shell Knob. Close and well known come first.
15 mi Theme parkSilver Dollar City
17 mi LakeTable Rock Lake
37 mi MuseumCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art
15 mi LandmarkChrist of the Ozarks
18 mi MuseumTitanic Museum15 mi CaveMarvel CavePhoto credits
Silver Dollar City: Nan Fry, CC BY 2.0 · Table Rock Lake: KTrimble (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Charvex, CC0 · Christ of the Ozarks: Bobak Ha'Eri, Public domain · Titanic Museum: Brad A. Totman, Public domain
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Everything we know about Shell Knob
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Shell Knob; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Shell Knob residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
95% of working residents leave Shell Knob for work
Where Shell Knob’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Shell Knob
Census-designated place in Missouri, United States
Shell Knob is a census-designated place (CDP) located within White River Township, Barry County, Missouri. The population was 1,254 at the 2020 census. The Stone County portion of Shell Knob is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,148 ft
- ZIP code
- 65747
Questions about Shell Knob
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shell Knob, MO expensive?
Yes. That is 5.5 years of the area's median household income ($58,346 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.