The Town FilesWood Heights, Missouri
City in Ray County · population 757 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $212,800
- Household income
- $89,688
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 19 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 34
- Median age
- 44.6
Wood Heights is a city of 757 people in Ray County, Missouri. The median home is worth $212,800, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks more of a college town than 89% of Missouri towns, better for families than 88% of Missouri towns, better for first-time buyers than 83% of Missouri towns.
How Wood Heights 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 Wood Heights is worth $212,800, above the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $89,688, which is more affordable than 70% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $1,446 a month. 94.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wood Heights | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $212,800 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $1,446 | $855 |
| Median household income | $89,688 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 94.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Wood Heights
| People | Wood Heights | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.6 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 3.2% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.8% | 88.7% |
Weather in Wood Heights
July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 41.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 19.4 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 37 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
34 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wood Heights since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 18 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 4, 1977 about 9.9 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 33 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 18, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 59 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on March 14, 1955.
Severe weather in Ray County since 1996
Ray County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2021 | Severe Storm | DR-4612: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482: Covid-19 |
| July 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 20, 2019 | Flood | DR-4435: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Ray County
Ray County had 4,007 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,361 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Wood Heights itself the ACS puts it at 1%.
Towns near Wood Heights
- Excelsior Springs, MO4.2 mi · 10,553 people · home $186,800
- Lawson, MO7.0 mi · 2,541 people · home $186,000
- Orrick, MO9.1 mi · 753 people · home $139,600
- Kearney, MO10.5 mi · 10,404 people · home $298,400
- Richmond, MO11.2 mi · 6,013 people · home $142,600
- Buckner, MO14.6 mi · 2,945 people · home $197,600
- Liberty, MO15.4 mi · 30,167 people · home $283,300
- Polo, MO16.0 mi · 509 people · home $154,700
Wood Heights questions
Is Wood Heights, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wood Heights scores better for retirees than 38% of Missouri towns and quieter than 82%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.6).
How much does a house cost in Wood Heights?
The median owner-occupied home in Wood Heights is valued at $212,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $89,688, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,446 a month.
What is the weather like in Wood Heights?
July highs average 88.0°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.2 inches of precipitation a year and 19.4 inches of snow.
Does Wood Heights get tornadoes?
34 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wood Heights since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 4, 1977. 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)