Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety20#742/924
Economy19#748/925
Housing61#358/925
Health23#708/925
Healthcare14#794/923
Environment47#482/917
Education51#457/925
Infrastructure44#522/925
Community51#455/925
Leisure & amenities78#208/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Branson, MO micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

New homes permitted · high21.5 /1k
100/100Missouri 3.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high22.5 /10k
100/100Missouri 4.6 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high19.0 /10k
98/100Missouri 8.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New business applications · high18.7 /1k
92/100Missouri 16.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high13.9 /10k
91/100Missouri 5.3 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Loneliness · low31.7%
84/100Missouri 32.5%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Average weekly wage · low$838
1/100Missouri $1,278United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Distance to an emergency room · high27.6 mi
1/100Missouri 6.6 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
2/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high6.0%
6/100Missouri 4.0%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high18.7%
6/100Missouri 9.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Flu vaccinations · low30.0%
8/100Missouri 44.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
2% (2021) → 66% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+64 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedImproving
7.7 /1k (2021) → 21.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+180%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
16.2% (2020 & 2021) → 39.5% (2023 & 2024)
+23 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
44.4 /100k (2021) → 19.4 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−56%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
12.0 /1k (2020) → 18.7 /1k (2025)
+56%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
40.0% (2019) → 30.0% (2023)
−10 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

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, Branson, MO micropolitan area improved on 11 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 7 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Unemployment−6.7 points12.7% → 6.0%
Real income+43%$43,419 → $61,920
Bachelor's++5.1 points19.9% → 25.0%
Gyms+31%0.5 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Traffic deaths−14%22.1 /100k → 19.1 /100k

Declined8

Inequality+0.0520.417 → 0.469
Firearm deaths+59%15.5 /100k → 24.7 /100k
Grocery stores−24%1.6 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Homicides+29%4.1 /100k → 5.3 /100k
Suicides+35%18.3 /100k → 24.7 /100k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Branson, MO micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	23.0 /10k2020	22.5 /10k2025	−2.4%	Little change	24%
Average commute time	22.7 min2015-2019	23.3 min2020-2024	+0.5 min	Within the margin of error	45%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.9%2015-2019	25.0%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Improved	92%
Broadband subscriptions	80.3%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Improved	50%
Child poverty rate	19.9%2015-2019	23.3%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Distance to an airport	42 mi2020	42 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	21.4 /100k2020	19.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−9.3%	Improved	35%
Effective property tax rate	0.59%2015-2019	0.54%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Firearm deaths	15.5 /100k2020	24.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+59%	Declined	7%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−24%	Declined	7%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	80%
High school diploma or higher	88.9%2015-2019	91.3%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Home price to income ratio	3.0×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	18%
Homicide rate	4.1 /100k2020	5.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+29%	Declined	9%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,4192019	$61,9202024	+43%	Improved	94%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4172015-2019	0.4692020-2024	+0.052	Declined	1%
Median household income	$46,0312015-2019	$56,4972020-2024	+23%	Improved	26%
New business applications	12.0 /1k2020	18.7 /1k2025	+56%	Improved	64%
Pharmacies	2.5 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	31%
Poverty rate	14.7%2015-2019	15.6%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Rent as share of income	25.2%2015-2019	28.0%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Declined	13%
Rent-burdened households	39.6%2015-2019	44.9%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Restaurants and bars	17.7 /10k2020	18.9 /10k2025	+7.3%	Improved	72%
Suicide rate	18.3 /100k2020	24.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+35%	Declined	13%
Traffic deaths	22.1 /100k2015-2019	19.1 /100k2020-2024	−14%	Improved	81%
Unemployment rate	12.7%2020	6.0%2025	−6.7 points	Improved	99%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	20.0%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Violent crime rate	365 /100k2020	262 /100k2025	−28%	Improved	72%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Branson, MO micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Branson, MO micropolitan area 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, Branson, MO micropolitan area itself moved −7.1 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

56,529 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

22,788 households (±496)

Branson, MO micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k21%4,719
$25k–50k23%5,308
$50k–75k21%4,704

Homes

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

Owners and renters

22,788 households (±496)

Branson, MO micropolitan area
United States share

Own67%15,275
Rent33%7,513

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

25,217 workers (±758)

Branson, MO micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone73%18,350
Carpool14%3,524
Public transit0.0%†6

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Branson, MO micropolitan area.

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.

Branson, MO has 1,928 employer establishments, 339 for every 10,000 residents (1.37× the US rate of 248), with 24,801 paid employees at an average annual pay of $38,044. The Census Bureau also counts 5,651 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,928; 5,651 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 339; US 248
Paid employees: 24,801
Average annual pay: $38,044; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	191	33.6	1.83×More than typical	4,152	$24,455	32
Lessors of real estate	169	29.7	2.41×More than typical	1,594	$55,194	708
Traveler accommodation	108	19	10.5×More than typical	3,193	$35,533	73
Real estate agents and brokers	105	18.5	3.80×More than typical	970	$67,479	203
Specialty trade contractors	105	18.5	1.19×About typical	636	$46,642	455
Clothing and accessories stores	98	17.2	4.75×More than typical	1,079	$24,522	49
Full-service restaurants	96	16.9	2.20×More than typical	2,528	$25,491	13
Ambulatory health care services	89	15.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	806	$63,990	88
Services to buildings and dwellings	71	12.5	1.85×More than typical	889	$29,804	594
Religious organizations	60	10.6	1.90×More than typical	437	$29,371	—
Limited-service restaurants	56	9.9	1.23×About typical	1,103	$21,383	10
Construction of buildings	53	9.3	1.23×About typical	200	$49,480	285

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 56,830 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $7.1M on contracts performed in Branson, MO micropolitan area: $125 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $7.1M; −46% vs FY2025
Per resident: $125; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.3%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$6.8M96%
Defense Logistics Agency$112.3K1.6%
Forest Service$96.3K1.4%
Department of the Air Force$43.7K0.6%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$6,8600.1%

Top recipients

BCI CONSTRUCTION USA, INC.$2.9M40%
OLGOONIK GENERAL, LLC$1.4M19%
NADLER MOBILE, LLC$609.8K8.6%
WILDFLOWER INTERNATIONAL, LTD.$490.8K6.9%
WICKMAN GARDENS, INC.$270.8K3.8%

Spending by fiscal year

3.6MFY2017
8MFY2018
2.6MFY2019
2.7MFY2020
4.9MFY2021
7.8MFY2022
7.8MFY2023
5.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$3.5M49%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$1.4M19%
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341$497.7K7.0%
Facilities support services · 5612$326.5K4.6%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$320.2K4.5%
RV parks and recreational camps · 7212

Largest awards

RAW WATER PIPING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT, TABLE ROCK DAM POWERHOUSE, TANEY COUNTY, MISSOURI. 720-DAY CONTRACT DURATION BEGINNING UPON RECEIPT OF NTP. DATES ON CAR ARE ONLY ESTIMATES.$7.6M
IHP INDUSTRIAL, INC.· Taney County, MO· Construction & real property· Dec 5, 2024 – Apr 9, 2026· W9127S25C0003
INTAKE GATE REPLACEMENT - UNIT 3, TABLE ROCK POWERHOUSE, TANEY COUNTY, MISSOURI.$2.9M
BCI CONSTRUCTION USA, INC.· Taney County, MO· Construction & real property· Feb 27, 2026 – Feb 27, 2026· W9127S26CA005
SITE PREPARATION FOR TEMPORARY BUILDING, UCIC-MCX COMPOUND, TANEY COUNTY, MISSOURI. ALL SHALL BE COMPLETE WITHIN SIXTY (60) CALENDAR DAYS OF RECEIPT OF NOTICE TO PROCEED.$1.4M
OLGOONIK GENERAL, LLC· Taney County, MO· Construction & real property· Mar 1, 2026 – Mar 23, 2026· W9127S26FA045

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $403.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Branson, MO micropolitan area: $7,082 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $403.7M; −1.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,082; US $12,955
Loan face value: $27.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$265.1M66%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$38.3M9.5%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$37.6M9.3%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$23M5.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$9.7M2.4%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$6.4M1.6%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$5.1M1.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$4M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$9.7M2.4%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
THE SCHOOL OF THE OZARKS$7.1M1.8%
POINT LOOKOUT, MO
R.A. NETWORKS$313.5K0.1%
CHESTERFIELD, MO
FORSYTH MEADOWS, LP$275.6K0.1%
JOPLIN, MO
COUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES, L.P.$126.2K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$335.5M83%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$43.7M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$9.7M2.4%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$7.2M1.8%
Railroad Retirement Board$5.1M

Assistance by fiscal year

412.4MFY2021
382.1MFY2022
361.5MFY2023
378.7MFY2024
410.8MFY2025
403.7MFY2026

County aggregates

95%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Branson, MO

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Taney CountyCentral county3857,001

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BransonPrincipal city12,817

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Missouri

Areas based in Missouri, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M14700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Branson, MO micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Branson, MO

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Missouri

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined8

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought