Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Missouri.
Waynesville grades C overall, ranked 166th of 247 in Missouri, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, the median household income is $57K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 70% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its crime rate is higher than 72% of U.S. towns, with 24 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. A typical home there costs about $250K, 3.9 years of the Fort Leonard Wood area’s $64K median household income. Waynesville’s violent crime rate is 4.4 per 1,000 residents, above both the Missouri town median (2.2) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). Waynesville has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Old Stagecoach Stop and Pulaski County Courthouse. Waynesville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 80% of U.S. towns.
Where Waynesville beats most towns.
4,830 counted in 2010 and 5,406 in 2020; an estimated 5,558 in 2025.
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 Waynesville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 257 in 1910, 5,406 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1863 and 5 maps from 1942 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waynesville, 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 Waynesville.
Waynesville draws workers from St. Robert and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally.
2,377 jobs are based in Waynesville, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Waynesville for work: only 17% work in town. The average trip to work in Waynesville is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Waynesville fell to 2,377 in 2023, 491 fewer than in 2013.
| Waynesville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Waynesville R-VI. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Waynesville SR. High, with 1,719 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesville East Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 920 | A− |
| Waynesville SR. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,719 | B+ |
| Waynesville MiddleTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 906 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
At 29.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 60% of Missouri’s graded towns.
Waynesville reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 72% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Waynesville has chilly winters and warm summers. Waynesville’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (37% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). 32% of Waynesville adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Waynesville has grown 2.6% since 2020, to 5,558 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Waynesville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.4 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 22% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.2 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Waynesville | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.3% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 20.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 4.6% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.4% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.2% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.8% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
94 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 10 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 94 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waynesville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 7,962 U.S. towns with household incomes like Waynesville’s, it is healthier than 88%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Waynesville beats the Missouri average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Waynesville.
| Waynesville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Waynesville | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.1% | 6.8% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 6.2% | 8% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.4% | 77.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Waynesville home is worth about $250,000, up 3.1% in a year, 6% below the Missouri typical home.
| Waynesville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,152 a month | $970 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Roubidoux Park, at 65 acres.
| Waynesville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Roubidoux Park | 0.3 mi | 65 |
| 2. Roy Laughlin Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Waynesville; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Waynesville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri.
Where Waynesville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Waynesville on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Waynesville.
City in Missouri, United States
Waynesville is a city in and the county seat of Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. Its population was 5,406 at the 2020 census. Located in the Missouri Ozarks, it was once served by Route 66.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Waynesville.
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesville | #166 | C | C+ | C | B+ | B |
| St. Robert | #153 | C | C+ | — | B+ | C+ |
St. Robert reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Waynesville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Waynesville grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #166 of 247 in Missouri. It grades B for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
6 notable people were born here, including Mary Jo Bang and David A. Day.
