Wardell-Broad-St-mo, 2018
Wardell’s story
124 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2018.
- 1902Wardell is settled
WardellMO
A town of 283, settled in 1902.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
283
2025 Census estimate · −8.4% since 2020
Median home value
$54K
Census ACS
Household income
$40K
median
Median age
54.6
years
Jobs based here
40
A commuter town
Is Wardell a good place to live?
43% of residents live below the poverty line in Wardell, against 14% in Missouri’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only one of the 248 Missouri towns we compare has a higher age of the median resident than Wardell. Wardell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
283 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 Wardell: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wardell, and how to reach them.
PowerUnion Electric13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWardell PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wardell’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 herePemiscotPemiscot County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6387963879 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 Wardell.
Natural hazards
Compared with most of Missouri and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Wardell is higher
Households in Wardell have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2009. 50% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by drought at 19%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 92% of U.S. communities.
92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesDroughtTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Wardell’s kids attend
The North Pemiscot Co. R-I school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment in Wardell: 248 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 114 | D |
| North Pemiscot SR. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 134 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Wardell’s workers commute out
Wardell’s median household income stands at $40,000, below both Missouri’s towns ($62,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Most people who work leave Wardell to do it: just 2% work in town. The top destinations are Hayti (11%), Kennett (10%) and Portageville (8%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
2%work in town
| Wardell | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Wardell2%
Hayti11%
Kennett10%
Portageville8%
Caruthersville6%
18 mi
median commute distance
40
jobs based in Wardell
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–48°
Spring49–70°
Summer69–89°
Fall50–72°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Mar 25
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Wardell is
Two figures for adults in Wardell: 23% smoke cigarettes, 38% get no exercise outside work. CDC measures, 32 in all: Wardell beats Missouri on 1 and trails on 18. 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in the town.
| Wardell | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Wardell | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.6% | 8% |
Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital
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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wardell
17pages on Wardell
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wardell; the nearest are
Dyersburg State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Dyersburg, TN31.7 mi$4,758 in-state tuitionThe University of Tennessee-MartinUniversity or college · Public · Martin, TN52.9 mi$10,560 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Wardell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Wardell for work
Where Wardell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
40jobs based in Wardell
2%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wardell
City in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States
Wardell is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 310 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 276 ft
- ZIP code
- 63879
- Area code
- 573
Questions about Wardell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wardell, MO a good place to live?
Wardell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Wardell, MO known for?
2 notable people were born here, including A.C. Reed and Bill Burlison.