Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Missouri ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B+OzarkSafer than 71% of U.S. towns CBeltonSafer than 27% of U.S. towns

Schools

A+OzarkBetter than 95% of districts in the state C+BeltonBetter than 35% of districts in the state

Health

BOzarkHealthier than 59% of U.S. towns C+BeltonHealthier than 36% of U.S. towns

15Ozark

8Belton

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #1#157 Best schoolsSchools · 226 towns #17#162 SafestSafety · 156 towns #18#93 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 85 towns #26#66 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #68#179 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #196#106 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #155#74 Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #27#102

Left end = #1 in Missouri. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Ozark’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $230 more a month in Ozark

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Ozark$1,890/mo

Typical home $321K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.76% · or rent about $1,097/mo · Housing →

Belton$1,660/mo

Typical home $275K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.94% · or rent about $1,290/mo · Housing →

The difference: $230 a month, about $2,700 a year, between Ozark and Belton.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

OzarkBelton

Snow a year7″9″

January low21°F —

July high89°F —

Growing season (days)189d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th 32nd

Outdoors & history

OzarkBelton

Trails2 mi 4 mi

Conserved land1.5%3.3%

Settled1818 1871

National Register places2 —

Archive photos12 20

Famous people born here1 3

Community

OzarkBelton

Library hours a week58 hrs 61 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

143 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OzarkMO BeltonMO

Ozark ↔ Belton143 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Missouri average

OzarkBelton

People

Population 22,417Lowest 25,008Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +19.4%Highest MO: +2.8% +3.6%Lowest MO: +2.8%

Median age 33.8±1.6Lowest 13% below MO 36.8±1.9Highest 6% below MO

Belton and Ozark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 27.9%±2.8Highest MO: 22.3% 24.1%±2.2Lowest MO: 22.3%

Ozark and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 14.6%±2Highest MO: 17.9% 14.5%±1.7Lowest MO: 17.9%

Ozark and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.7%Highest MO: 32.4% 25.6%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±1Highest MO: 5.7% 3.7%±1Lowest MO: 5.7%

Ozark and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $74,182±$6kHighest 5% above MO $69,226±$5kLowest about the MO average

Ozark and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $254,800±$14kHighest 11% above MO $203,200±$11kLowest 12% below MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,097±$84Lowest 6% above MO $1,290±$97Highest 25% above MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,926Highest about the MO average $1,918Lowest about the MO average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.1%±5.5Lowest MO: 45.6% 49.2%±9.3Highest MO: 45.6%

Belton and Ozark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 12.6%Highest MO: 12.6% 9.7%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 62.6%Highest MO: 68.1% 59%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 2002Highest 24 yrs newer than MO 1987Lowest 9 yrs newer than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the MO average 25 minHighest 6% above MO

Work from home 8%±1.9Lowest MO: 13% 11.8%±2.5Highest MO: 13%

Belton and Ozark are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 11%Highest 10.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miLowest 14.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.75Highest 0.73Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Springfield (52%)Kansas City (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BeltonFew work in Ozark

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Lowest 3.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miLowest 3.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 7Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.9Highest 65.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #17 of 226 in MO #162 of 226 in MO

School district OZARK R-VIBELTON 124

High school in town Ozark HighBelton High

Students per teacherat that high school 14.9Highest 13.7Lowest

Missouri average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Ozark neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ozark’s Town Square.

Belton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belton’s Town Square.

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Bordering Ozark

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Nixa24,836 people · $259K homes

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Fremont Hills1,574 people · $462K homes

Towns like Ozark

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Union12,781 people · $205K homes

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Overland15,695 people · $132K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Ozark vs Belton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Ozark places higher on 15 of 23 MO lists

A typical home costs $230 more a month in Ozark

What daily life feels like in each

143 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Ozark and Belton

Bordering Ozark

Towns like Ozark

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