The Town FilesMountain Grove, Missouri
City in Wright County · population 4,313 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $87,200
- Household income
- $37,415
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 10 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 26
- Median age
- 43.2
Mountain Grove is a city of 4,313 people in Wright County, Missouri. The median home is worth $87,200, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks easier by car than 75% of Missouri towns, better for families than 73% of Missouri towns.
How Mountain Grove ranks
Percentile among Missouri towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Missouri towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Mountain Grove is worth $87,200, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $37,415, which is more affordable than 74% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $839 a month. 75.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mountain Grove | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $87,200 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $839 | $855 |
| Median household income | $37,415 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.3× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 75.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1967 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Mountain Grove
| People | Mountain Grove | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.2 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.8% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 18.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.6% | — |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 14.0 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.2% | 88.7% |
Weather in Mountain Grove
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 22.4°F. About 45.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 10.4 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 27 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 103 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mountain Grove since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on April 13, 2018 about 7.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 4, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 67 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 20, 2003.
Severe weather in Wright County since 1996
Wright County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4867: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires |
| January 1, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4855: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| July 9, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4552: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Wright County
Wright County had 4,649 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $39,897 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Mountain Grove itself the ACS puts it at 1%.
Public schools in Mountain Grove
6 public schools with 1,615 students, about 13.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOUNTAIN GROVE ELEM. | PK-4 | 680 | 14.5 |
| MOUNTAIN GROVE HIGH | 9-12 | 477 | 16.4 |
| MOUNTAIN GROVE MIDDLE | 5-8 | 451 | 13.7 |
| SKYVIEW SCHOOL | K-12 | 5 | 5.0 |
| OZARK REGIONAL JUVENILE DET CT | K-12 | 2 | — |
| OZARK MOUNTAIN TECHNICAL CTR. | 9-12 | — | — |
Towns near Mountain Grove
- Ava, MO25.2 mi · 2,894 people · home $148,000
Mountain Grove questions
Is Mountain Grove, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mountain Grove scores better for retirees than 44% of Missouri towns and quieter than 66%. 23.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.2).
How much does a house cost in Mountain Grove?
The median owner-occupied home in Mountain Grove is valued at $87,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $37,415, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $839 a month.
What is the weather like in Mountain Grove?
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 22.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.9 inches of precipitation a year and 10.4 inches of snow.
Does Mountain Grove get tornadoes?
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mountain Grove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on April 13, 2018. The typical Missouri town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)