Webb City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Joplin
Webb City
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs50 · Top 50%
Climate
71 · Top 45%
vs71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
46 · Bottom 36%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 36%
vs99 · Top 11%
Access
68 · Bottom 10%
vs63 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Joplin | Webb City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,593 | 13,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,097 | $65,469 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,024 | $28,627 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,381/sq mi | 1,522/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $168,300 | $169,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $1,008 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.4% | 58.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 20.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 257 | 24 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.7% | 9.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.6" | 45.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 60 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.2 min | 19.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.5 | 31.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 4.50 | 15.63 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.7% | 47.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Joplin
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail, drought.
Webb City
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, tornado, drought.
Full profiles: Joplin, MO · Webb City, MO · How this is calculated: methodology