Lentz-Carter Merchandise Store · National Register of Historic Places
Stella’s story
142 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1884Stella is settled
StellaMO
A town of 170, settled in 1884.
Photo: Keith Snyder · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
170
2025 Census estimate · +3% since 2020
Typical home
$275K
+4.2% in a year
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
13.9
years
Jobs based here
22
A commuter town
Is Stella a good place to live?
Lentz-Carter Merchandise Store is on the National Register of Historic Places. Stella has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
170 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Stella: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stella, and how to reach them.
PowerNew-Mac Electric Coop13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterStella PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers26% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Stella’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 hereNewtonNewton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2015
ZIP code6486764867 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 Stella.
Schools
The schools Stella’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Public schools: East Newton Co. R-VI. 431 students attend Stella’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| TriwayLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 431 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
More of Stella’s residents live below the poverty line than in the typical Missouri or U.S. town
3.4% of working residents work locally in Stella, against 13% in Missouri’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 9 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a higher mean commuting time than Stella. Half the trips to work are shorter than 25 miles. The top destinations are Neosho (20%), Joplin (17%) and Springfield (8%).
3%work in town
| Stella | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 72% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 13% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Stella3%
Neosho20%
Joplin17%
Springfield8%
Granby5%
25 mi
median commute distance
22
jobs based in Stella
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Stella faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
The risk rating from FEMA for Stella comes to 71 of 100, where Missouri’s towns sit at 54 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Federal aid has come to Stella households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2019. FEMA puts 57% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 10% to tornadoes.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers: that is Stella’s year
For Stella, the typical July afternoon high is 89°F.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–48°
Spring45–68°
Summer66–88°
Fall47–70°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Stella is
The share of adults in Stella who worry about having enough food: 19%. Against the Missouri average, Stella comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 13. Two figures for adults here: 20% smoke cigarettes, 33% get no exercise outside work.
| Stella | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better18 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Stella | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.7% | 8.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.2% | 15.8% |
Freeman Neosho Hospital
12.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Stella are worth about $275K, by Zillow’s estimate
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.2%. Just over four in five households live in a home they own in Stella.
$275KZillow home value
Typical home value
Stella$275K
Missouri$265K
+4.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Stella
17pages on Stella
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Stella
About 0 of every 100 Stella residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Stella for work
Where Stella’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
22jobs based in Stella
3%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Stella
Village in Newton County, Missouri, United States
Stella is a village in southern Newton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 158 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village of Stella is located 17 miles southeast of Neosho.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,145 ft
- ZIP code
- 64867
Questions about Stella
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Stella, MO a good place to live?
Stella has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.