City · Atchison County, Missouri

Tarkio, Missouri

Tarkio is a city in Atchison County, Missouri. It has 1,471 residents. Tarkio, Missouri has a quality-of-life score of 70 out of 100 (high), ranking #4,654 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Missouri it ranks #66 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on social associations (high), students per teacher (low) and suicide rate (low). It ranks worst on preventable hospital stays (high), access to exercise opportunities (low) and average weekly wage (low).

70High

Quality-of-life score: #4,654 of 15,651 cities and towns
Missouri: #66 of 375 in MO
Population: 1,471 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,060.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 2972340

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 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.

Safety95#784/15,637
Economy32#10,617/15,631
Housing94#927/14,977
Health31#10,751/15,609
Healthcare10#14,103/15,650
Environment84#2,428/15,453
Education66#5,362/15,649
Infrastructure42#9,154/15,650
Community81#3,007/15,651
Leisure & amenities89#1,722/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Social associations · high33.3 /10k
100/100Missouri 11.5 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAtchison County value
Students per teacher · low8.2×
100/100Missouri 12.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAtchison County value
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100Missouri 19.1 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAtchison County value
Public libraries · high5.8 /10k
99/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAtchison County value
Pharmacies · high3.9 /10k
99/100Missouri 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAtchison County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Missouri 20.1 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAtchison County value

Weaknesses

Preventable hospital stays · high4,509 /100k
4/100Missouri 3,034 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAtchison County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low38.5%
5/100Missouri 76.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAtchison County value
Average weekly wage · low$906
6/100Missouri $1,278United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAtchison County value
Mental health providers · low58 /100k
7/100Missouri 278 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAtchison County value
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Missouri 13.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAtchison County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high17.3%
13/100Missouri 9.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010

Trends

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

Child poverty rateWorsening
20.1% (2015-2019) → 28.6% (2020-2024)
+8.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.8% (2015-2019) → 85.8% (2020-2024)
+8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$46,833 (2015-2019) → $56,927 (2020-2024)
+22%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
19.9% (2015-2019) → 23.1% (2020-2024)
+3.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Public transit commutersImproving
0.0% (2015-2019) → 3.1% (2020-2024)
+3.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B08301US 5.0% → 3.2%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.402 (2015-2019) → 0.462 (2020-2024)
+15%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

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, Tarkio, Missouri improved on 1 of 14 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.

Improved1

Broadband+8 points77.8% → 85.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Tarkio, Missouri between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.0 min2015-2019	22.8 min2020-2024	+2.8 min	Within the margin of error	21%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.9%2015-2019	23.1%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Broadband subscriptions	77.8%2015-2019	85.8%2020-2024	+8 points	Improved	49%
Child poverty rate	20.1%2015-2019	28.6%2020-2024	+8.5 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Effective property tax rate	1.16%2015-2019	1.22%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	9%
High school diploma or higher	88.7%2015-2019	89.9%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Home price to income ratio	1.5×2015-2019	1.5×2020-2024	+0.0×	Within the margin of error	78%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4022015-2019	0.4622020-2024	+0.060	Within the margin of error	13%
Median household income	$46,8332015-2019	$56,9272020-2024	+22%	Within the margin of error	36%
Poverty rate	15.4%2015-2019	14.4%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Rent as share of income	18.8%2015-2019	18.6%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Rent-burdened households	29.5%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Unemployment rate	4.0%2015-2019	4.1%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	18.8%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	64%

“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 Tarkio, Missouri five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Tarkio, 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, Tarkio, Missouri itself moved −8.8 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

1,471 residents (±180)

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: 60–69 men (+5.2 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,471 residents (±180)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

White90%1,320
Black0.6%†9
Hispanic or Latino3.9%†57

Education

1,093 residents (±125)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

No high school diploma10%†110
High school or GED44%479
Some college20%218

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

683 households (±80)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $25k21%143
$25k–50k25%171
$50k–75k19%†128
$75k–100k14%†97
$100k–150k9.2%†63
$150k–200k8.2%†56
$200k or more3.7%†25

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−9.0 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

683 households (±80)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Own73%501
Rent27%182

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+10.3 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

166 households (±37)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $75072%†120
$750–1,00010%†17
$1,000–1,50015%†25

Home values

501 homes (±59)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Under $150k77%388
$150k–250k15%†73
$250k–400k4.8%†24

Age of homes

797 homes (±74)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

2010 or later1.9%†15
2000–20093.1%†25
1980–199913%†107

Size of homes

797 homes (±74)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Studio3.1%†25
1 bedroom11%†90
2 bedrooms31%249

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

754 workers (±140)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Drive alone82%616
Carpool8.6%†65
Public transit3.1%†23
Walk1.5%†11
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.8%†29
Other1.3%†10

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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

725 workers (±137)

Tarkio, Missouri
Missouri share

Under 15 min39%280
15–29 min36%263
30–44 min9.4%†68

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 Atchison County, the county holding most of Tarkio's residents.

Atchison County has 174 employer establishments, 339 for every 10,000 residents (1.37× the US rate of 248; 1.39× Missouri's), with 1,143 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,165. The Census Bureau also counts 430 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 174; 430 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 339; US 248 · Missouri 244
Paid employees: 1,143
Average annual pay: $43,165; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	17	33.1	5.97×More than typical	37	$11,811	—
Specialty trade contractors	10	19.5	1.26×More than typical	20	$45,050	60
Truck transportation	10	19.5	3.85×More than typical	18	$41,333	29
Insurance agencies and brokerages	9	17.5	3.99×Too few to compare	39	$67,256	12
Automotive repair and maintenance	7	13.6	2.71×Too few to compare	30	$29,433	10
Lessors of real estate	6	11.7	0.95×Too few to compare	6	$41,000	52
Restaurants and other eating places	6	11.7	0.64×Too few to compare	6	$57,167	3
Ambulatory health care services	5	9.7	0.47×Too few to compare	32	$38,531	5
Gasoline stations	5	9.7	3.00×Too few to compare	74	$26,243	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	4	7.8	2.93×Too few to compare	12	$13,250	—
Banks and credit unions	4	7.8	2.41×Too few to compare	28	$52,643	—
Individual and family services	4	7.8	2.78×Too few to compare	15	$32,400	—

Rank places for an industry Open Atchison County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,133 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: Tarkio is mostly in Atchison County.

See federal money in Atchison 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.

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

House

Sam GravesR-MO-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 7.0%

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.

Atchison County73100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Atchison 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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