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Douglas County Court House - Ava, MO

AvaMO

A town of 3,045, settled in 1871. A typical home worth about $231K.

Photo: Vsmith · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
3,045
−3.3% since 2010
Typical home
$231K
+6.4% in a year
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
34.9
years
Jobs based here
1,928
A job hub

What makes Ava stand out

The 3 things Ava does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A job hub

Every workday, about 1,617 people come to Ava for work

Where Ava’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

12% → Springfield Springfield 12% 4% → Mansfield Mansfield 4% 3% → Lebanon Lebanon 3% 2% → Seymour Seymour 2% 2% → West Plains West Plains 2% 1% → Mountain Grove Mountain Grove 1% Ava · 34% stay
1,928jobs based in Ava
34%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Ava’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Ava

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Ava. Another town gets a different order.

Housing

A typical Ava home is worth about $231K

The typical Ava home is worth about $231,000, up 6.4% in a year, 14% below the Missouri typical home.

$231KZillow home value

Typical home value

Ava$231K
Missouri$268K
+6.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute

About one in three working residents works right in Ava

About one in 3 of Ava’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Springfield (12%), Mansfield (4%) and Lebanon (3%). Half commute less than 25 miles.

34%work in town

Where working residents work

In Ava34%
Springfield12%
Mansfield4%
Lebanon3%
Seymour2%
25 mi
median commute distance
1,928
jobs based in Ava
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors

2.3% of Ava is conserved land

0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.

2.3%conserved
2.3%
conserved · 49 of 2,123 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
#104
most conserved land in MO
#91
most walkable in MO
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Ava City Park—21
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health

Healthier than 15% of U.S. towns

Ava beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.

DHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better20 too close to call12 worse
What stands outAvaMO
More adults with COPD11.6%8%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth22.1%15.8%
More adults with heart disease9.4%6.8%
Cox Medical Centers
36.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
36th
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools

Ava’s public schools outperform 58% of Missouri districts

The public schools Ava’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 58% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

BSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Ava Elem.PK–4553B
Ava Middle5–8386C+
Ava High9–12391B
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 73% of U.S. towns

Ava reports less crime per resident than 73% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

B+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Ava1.5
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Ava4
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
73rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
90th
percentile among MO towns
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
13
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Ava has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

8″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter26–46°
Spring44–67°
Summer64–86°
Fall45–69°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 49% of U.S. communities.

49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
49Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Ava Fox Trot
2014 · Ava Fox Trot · Wikimedia Commons
Ava’s story

155 years in pictures

3 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.

MOMap-doton-AvaAva High School 2
Explore the history →

Famous people from Ava

3 notable people were born in Ava.

See all 3 →

About Ava

City in Missouri, U.S.

Official town website ↗

Ava is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Missouri, United States, that is the only incorporated city in the county. The population was 2,894 at the 2020 census. The city was founded in 1871. It was renamed Ava in 1881, the town's original name having been Militia Springs.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1871
Population
2,894
Area
3.3 sq mi
Elevation
1,283 ft
ZIP code
65608
Area code
417

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Photo of Ava

Ava, MO · Photo: Vsmith · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗