The Town FilesPleasant Hope, Missouri
City in Polk County · population 657 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $155,600
- Household income
- $65,078
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 10 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 26
- Median age
- 36.7
Pleasant Hope is a city of 657 people in Polk County, Missouri. The median home is worth $155,600, close to the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks better for families than 79% of Missouri towns, more of a college town than 75% of Missouri towns, better for young professionals than 73% of Missouri towns.
How Pleasant Hope 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 Pleasant Hope is worth $155,600, close to the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $65,078, which is more affordable than 70% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $950 a month. 70.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pleasant Hope | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $155,600 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $950 | $855 |
| Median household income | $65,078 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 70.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Pleasant Hope
| People | Pleasant Hope | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.1% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 9.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.3% | — |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.8% | 88.7% |
Weather in Pleasant Hope
July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 21.7°F. About 46.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 9.5 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 41 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 108 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pleasant Hope since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on February 28, 2012 about 7.9 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 13 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 29, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 88 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 25, 2011.
Severe weather in Polk County since 1996
Polk County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4929: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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 |
| January 21, 2016 | Flood | DR-4250: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Polk County
Polk County had 9,503 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,113 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Pleasant Hope itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.
Public schools in Pleasant Hope
4 public schools with 683 students, about 11.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLEASANT HOPE ELEM. | PK-4 | 266 | 14.0 |
| PLEASANT HOPE HIGH | 9-12 | 241 | 14.2 |
| PLEASANT HOPE MIDDLE | 5-8 | 176 | 13.5 |
| PLEASANT HOPE RANCH SCH. | 4-12 | — | — |
Towns near Pleasant Hope
- Fair Grove, MO8.8 mi · 1,582 people · home $214,300
- Bolivar, MO12.5 mi · 10,679 people · home $201,600
- Willard, MO14.3 mi · 6,344 people · home $212,900
- Walnut Grove, MO15.5 mi · 652 people · home $139,000
- Buffalo, MO15.8 mi · 3,290 people · home $141,800
- Strafford, MO16.1 mi · 2,561 people · home $169,400
- Springfield, MO18.8 mi · 169,176 people · home $177,700
- Ash Grove, MO19.6 mi · 1,512 people · home $141,800
Pleasant Hope questions
Is Pleasant Hope, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pleasant Hope scores better for retirees than 39% of Missouri towns and quieter than 59%. 10.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.7).
How much does a house cost in Pleasant Hope?
The median owner-occupied home in Pleasant Hope is valued at $155,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,078, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $950 a month.
What is the weather like in Pleasant Hope?
July highs average 89.1°F and January lows 21.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.4 inches of precipitation a year and 9.5 inches of snow.
Does Pleasant Hope get tornadoes?
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pleasant Hope since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on February 28, 2012. 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)