City · Reynolds County, Missouri

Ellington, Missouri

Ellington is a city in Reynolds County, Missouri. It has 1,057 residents. Ellington, Missouri has a quality-of-life score of 32 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,599 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Missouri it ranks #257 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on public libraries (high), students per teacher (low) and property crime rate (low). It ranks worst on unemployment rate (high), grocery stores (low) and traffic deaths (high).

32Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,599 of 15,651 cities and towns
Missouri: #257 of 375 in MO
Population: 1,057 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 723.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 2921844

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety48#8,102/15,637
Economy20#12,573/15,631
Housing94#908/14,977
Health11#13,820/15,609
Healthcare3#15,250/15,650
Environment84#2,539/15,453
Education23#11,986/15,649
Infrastructure12#13,732/15,650
Community65#5,521/15,651
Leisure & amenities43#8,944/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ellington, Missouri ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Reynolds County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public libraries · high8.4 /10k
100/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesReynolds County value
Students per teacher · low9.4×
99/100Missouri 12.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsReynolds County value
Property crime rate · low243 /100k
98/100Missouri 1,644 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureReynolds County value
Social associations · high16.8 /10k
95/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteReynolds County value
Job growth · high2.8%
93/100Missouri 0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataReynolds County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.351
92/100Missouri 0.465United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Weaknesses

Unemployment rate · high40.5%
0/100Missouri 4.0%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Grocery stores · low0.0 /10k
0/100Missouri 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsReynolds County value
Traffic deaths · high59.9 /100k
1/100Missouri 16.2 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataReynolds County value
Distance to an emergency room · high28.1 mi
1/100Missouri 6.6 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesReynolds County value
Flu vaccinations · low22.0%
2/100Missouri 44.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteReynolds County value
High school diploma or higher · low65.3%
2/100Missouri 91.8%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,182 (2015-2019) → 1,057 (2020-2024)
−11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.9% (2015-2019) → 40.5% (2020-2024)
+36 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
48.1% (2015-2019) → 12.9% (2020-2024)
−35 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
63.0% (2015-2019) → 35.8% (2020-2024)
−27 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateImproving
34.4% (2015-2019) → 13.5% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
78.9% (2015-2019) → 65.3% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Ellington, Missouri improved on 4 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 6 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Poverty−21 points34.4% → 13.5%
Rent burden−27 points63.0% → 35.8%
Inequality−0.1050.456 → 0.351
Rent / income−7.4 points32.5% → 25.1%

Declined1

High school+−14 points78.9% → 65.3%

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Ellington, Missouri between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	24.2 min2020-2024	+7.4 min	Within the margin of error	5%
Broadband subscriptions	65.5%2015-2019	77.7%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	70%
High school diploma or higher	78.9%2015-2019	65.3%2020-2024	−14 points	Declined	1%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	87%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4562015-2019	0.3512020-2024	−0.105	Improved	96%
Median household income	$24,8912015-2019	$36,2052020-2024	+45%	Within the margin of error	80%
Poverty rate	34.4%2015-2019	13.5%2020-2024	−21 points	Improved	99%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	25.1%2020-2024	−7.4 points	Improved	89%
Rent-burdened households	63.0%2015-2019	35.8%2020-2024	−27 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.8%2015-2019	24.4%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Within the margin of error	7%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Ellington, Missouri five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ellington, Missouri in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Ellington, Missouri itself moved +19 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,057 residents (±242)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 40–49 women (+6.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,057 residents (±242)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

White92%976
Black1.8%†19
Hispanic or Latino1.0%†11

Education

747 residents (±164)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

No high school diploma35%†259
High school or GED38%286
Some college12%†88

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

359 households (±83)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $25k34%†122
$25k–50k28%†99
$50k–75k19%†67
$75k–100k17%†60
$100k–150k2.5%†9
$150k–200k0.6%†2
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−16.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

359 households (±83)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Own56%202
Rent44%†157

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

137 households (±42)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $75081%†111
$750–1,00015%†21
$1,000–1,5003.7%†5

Home values

202 homes (±60)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $150k82%†166
$150k–250k8.9%†18
$250k–400k7.4%†15

Age of homes

418 homes (±88)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

2010 or later12%†51
2000–20096.2%†26
1980–199913%†53

Size of homes

418 homes (±88)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom9.1%†38
2 bedrooms29%†122

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

280 workers (±97)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Drive alone84%†235
Carpool14%†38
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.1%†6
Bike0.0%0
Work from home0.4%†1
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (−8.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

279 workers (±98)

Ellington, Missouri
Missouri share

Under 15 min47%†131
15–29 min30%†84
30–44 min7.2%†20

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Reynolds County, the county holding most of Ellington's residents.

Reynolds County has 145 employer establishments, 243 for every 10,000 residents (0.98× the US rate of 248; 1.00× Missouri's), with 1,543 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,028. The Census Bureau also counts 491 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 145; 491 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 243; US 248 · Missouri 244
Paid employees: 1,543
Average annual pay: $49,028; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Reynolds County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	10	16.8	3.02×More than typical	9	$23,778	—
Gasoline stations	7	11.7	3.62×Too few to compare	64	$18,500	—
Specialty trade contractors	7	11.7	0.76×Too few to compare	17	$51,118	35
Individual and family services	6	10.1	3.59×Too few to compare	40	$34,025	—
Truck transportation	5	8.4	1.66×Too few to compare	6	$47,667	13
Ambulatory health care services	4	6.7	0.32×Too few to compare	39	$37,282	11
Banks and credit unions	4	6.7	2.08×Too few to compare	31	$38,516	—
Grocery and convenience stores	4	6.7	2.26×Too few to compare	50	$17,220	—
Other specialty trade contractors	4	6.7	2.67×Too few to compare	13	$48,308	15
Restaurants and other eating places	4	6.7	0.37×Too few to compare	26	$25,038	4
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	3	5	1.89×Too few to compare	0	—	3
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	3	5	2.88×Too few to compare	3	$43,667	—

Rank places for an industry Open Reynolds County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,966 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Ellington is mostly in Reynolds County.

See federal money in Reynolds County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Ellington, Missouri is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jason SmithR-MO-8 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Reynolds County36100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Reynolds County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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