Is Northwoods, MO a Good Place to Live?
Northwoods is a small town of 3,700 in Missouri, with a median household income of $38,864 and a 8.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Northwoods stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Northwoods is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Northwoods city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.3Northwoods's overall cost of living index is 96.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Northwoods costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Northwoods, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $64,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,021 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $38,864 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageNorthwoods's violent crime rate is 361.1 per 100,000 residents — 5% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Northwoods, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 13.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Northwoods sees average highs of 40.6°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 43.9 inches of annual precipitation and 16.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Northwoods, MO |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 40.6°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 16.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Northwoods, MO | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,700 | — |
| Median Age | 57.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 90.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 31.9% | 16.8% |