City · Barry County, Missouri

Purdy, Missouri

Purdy is a city in Barry County, Missouri. It has 1,121 residents. Purdy, Missouri has a quality-of-life score of 20 out of 100 (very low), ranking #12,537 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Missouri it ranks #337 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), drinking water violations (low) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on median household income (low), bachelor's degree or higher (low) and unemployment rate (high).

20Very low

Quality-of-life score: #12,537 of 15,651 cities and towns
Missouri: #337 of 375 in MO
Population: 1,121 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,737.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 2960176

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 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.

Safety37#9,893/15,637
Economy6#14,708/15,631
Housing93#995/14,977
Health18#12,749/15,609
Healthcare16#13,102/15,650
Environment33#10,419/15,453
Education16#13,073/15,649
Infrastructure30#11,031/15,650
Community37#9,830/15,651
Leisure & amenities38#9,742/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Purdy, Missouri ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Barry 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

Effective property tax rate · low0.50%
88/100Missouri 0.89%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Missouri 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarry County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low126 min
84/100Missouri 161 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBarry County value
Social associations · high13.3 /10k
84/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarry County value
Average commute time · low18.0 min
82/100Missouri 23.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Grocery stores · high2.2 /10k
81/100Missouri 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBarry County value

Weaknesses

Median household income · low$36,711
4/100Missouri $71,583United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Bachelor's degree or higher · low7.9%
4/100Missouri 32.4%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Unemployment rate · high12.3%
5/100Missouri 4.0%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Distance to an Amtrak station · high140 mi
5/100Missouri 33 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBarry County value
Traffic deaths · high31.9 /100k
6/100Missouri 16.2 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataBarry County value
Dental care shortage · high18.0
6/100Missouri 9.4United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBarry County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,276 (2015-2019) → 1,121 (2020-2024)
−12%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
44.1% (2015-2019) → 63.1% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
71.6% (2015-2019) → 87.1% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.5× (2015-2019) → 2.5× (2020-2024)
+67%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Unemployment rateWorsening
1.5% (2015-2019) → 12.3% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
27.4% (2015-2019) → 36.9% (2020-2024)
+9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Purdy, Missouri improved on 0 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 13 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Purdy, Missouri between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.1 min2015-2019	18.0 min2020-2024	−0.0 min	Within the margin of error	48%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.0%2015-2019	7.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Broadband subscriptions	71.6%2015-2019	87.1%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Child poverty rate	44.1%2015-2019	63.1%2020-2024	+19 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Effective property tax rate	0.68%2015-2019	0.50%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	55%
High school diploma or higher	69.1%2015-2019	75.2%2020-2024	+6.1 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Home price to income ratio	1.5×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+1.0×	Within the margin of error	22%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3662015-2019	0.4072020-2024	+0.041	Within the margin of error	21%
Median household income	$46,0712015-2019	$36,7112020-2024	−20%	Within the margin of error	1%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	29.4%2015-2019	29.1%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Rent-burdened households	48.0%2015-2019	44.3%2020-2024	−3.7 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.9%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	28%

“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 Purdy, Missouri five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Purdy, 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, Purdy, Missouri itself moved −2.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

1,121 residents (±497)

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 men (−6.7 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

1,121 residents (±497)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

White78%†869
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino17%†192

Education

660 residents (±200)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

No high school diploma25%†164
High school or GED47%†309
Some college15%†

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

420 households (±132)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $25k26%†109
$25k–50k34%†144
$50k–75k20%†86
$75k–100k11%†46
$100k–150k3.3%†14
$150k–200k5.0%†21
$200k or more0.0%0

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 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

420 households (±132)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Own61%†258
Rent39%†162

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

149 households (±61)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $75069%†103
$750–1,00022%†33
$1,000–1,5008.7%†13

Home values

258 homes (±99)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $150k76%†196
$150k–250k15%†38
$250k–400k9.3%†24

Age of homes

478 homes (±133)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

2010 or later2.9%†14
2000–20099.8%†47
1980–199936%†171

Size of homes

478 homes (±133)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom19%†89
2 bedrooms28%†132

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

434 workers (±154)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Drive alone88%†381
Carpool7.8%†34
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.2%†5
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.2%†14
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (+12.3 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

420 workers (±146)

Purdy, Missouri
Missouri share

Under 15 min30%†125
15–29 min59%†247
30–44 min4.0%†17

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 Barry County, the county holding most of Purdy's residents.

Barry County has 775 employer establishments, 219 for every 10,000 residents (0.88× the US rate of 248; 0.90× Missouri's), with 11,838 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,740. The Census Bureau also counts 2,897 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 775; 2,897 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 219; US 248 · Missouri 244
Paid employees: 11,838
Average annual pay: $45,740; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	56	15.8	1.02×About typical	184	$34,701	401
Restaurants and other eating places	54	15.3	0.83×About typical	774	$17,434	19
Ambulatory health care services	38	10.7	0.52×Fewer than typical	282	$57,007	73
Religious organizations	38	10.7	1.94×More than typical	242	$22,496	—
Truck transportation	37	10.5	2.07×More than typical	231	$56,576	91
Full-service restaurants	28	7.9	1.03×About typical	276	$19,797	8
Automotive repair and maintenance	26	7.4	1.46×More than typical	102	$36,745	73
Gasoline stations	24	6.8	2.09×More than typical	186	$26,978	—
Lessors of real estate	23	6.5	0.53×Fewer than typical	50	$27,480	234
Building equipment contractors	21	5.9	0.99×About typical	54	$34,352	61
Limited-service restaurants	21	5.9	0.74×Fewer than typical	468	$16,197	8
Banks and credit unions	20	5.7	1.75×More than typical	186	$51,812	—

Rank places for an industry Open Barry County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 35,373 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: Purdy is mostly in Barry County.

See federal money in Barry 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.

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

House

Eric BurlisonR-MO-7 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 4.6%

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.

Barry County20100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Barry 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
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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