1910 · from Poplar Bluff’s archive Poplar BluffMO
A town of 16,254. Home to 21 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Library of Congress
Population
16,254
−4.7% since 2010
Typical home
$176K
+10.3% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Jobs based here
13,458
A job hub
What makes Poplar Bluff stand out The 3 things Poplar Bluff does most differently from other towns.
1910 · These were the youngest white boys (there were several younger negroes) that I could find working in the Parker Heading… · Library of Congress
Poplar Bluff’s story
Poplar Bluff in pictures
18 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 21 places on the National Register.
Explore the history →
1911
From the archive · today’s picture 115 years ago in Poplar Bluff St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Ry. [Railway] Station
Photo · Library of Congress. A different picture from Poplar Bluff’s archive appears here every day.
Do you remember this? Share a memory See all 18 archive items →
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Poplar Bluff is #256 of 256 in MO for “Closest to a top hospital”. Fair?
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In the news: West Plains JV Softball @ Poplar Bluff → What’s a piece of Poplar Bluff history most people don’t know? → What’s your favorite trail or park in Poplar Bluff? → Is Poplar Bluff still affordable for young families? →
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The data Ordered by what stands out in Poplar Bluff. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
1.7% of Poplar Bluff is conserved land 22 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.
#9 for trails in MO
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below 1.7%
conserved · 144 of 8,648 acres
22 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
Biggest places to walk Trails Acres 1. McLane Park 1.2 mi 63 2. Bacon Memorial Park 0.7 mi 30 3. Whiteley Park 0.2 mi 31
Housing
A typical Poplar Bluff home is worth about $176K The typical Poplar Bluff home is worth about $176,000, up 10.3% in a year, 34% below the Missouri typical home.
$176K Zillow home value
Typical home value Poplar Bluff $176K
Missouri $268K
Market temperature
Balanced A balanced market Buyer’s Seller’s +10.3%
value change, 1 year
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Poplar Bluff 50% of Poplar Bluff’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Cape Girardeau (3%), Dexter (2%) and Sikeston (2%). Half commute less than 4 miles.
50% work in town
Where working residents work In Poplar Bluff 50%
Cape Girardeau 3%
Dexter 2%
Sikeston 2%
Dudley 2%
4 mi
median commute distance
13,458
jobs based in Poplar Bluff
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Health
Healthier than 2% of U.S. towns Poplar Bluff beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20.
D− Health Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
What stands out Poplar Bluff MO More older adults who have lost all their teeth 29.3% 15.8% More adults facing food insecurity 25.3% 13.7% More adults facing a utility shut-off 15.1% 9%
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center
2.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
7th
percentile among MO towns
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with earthquakes at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities.
85 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
85 Very high risk Lower Higher Earthquakes Inland flooding Tornadoes
126
paid flood claims since 1979
8
federal disasters paid out here
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers Poplar Bluff has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
5″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 29–47°
Spring 47–70°
Summer 67–89°
Fall 48–71°
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
Schools
Poplar Bluff’s public schools outperform 61% of Missouri districts The public schools Poplar Bluff’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 61% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B School Grade
Safety
Crime reported in Poplar Bluff Poplar Bluff's reported crime rate is well above Missouri's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 149 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents Poplar Bluff 9.2
Missouri 4.3
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents Poplar Bluff 45.4
Missouri 16.9
U.S. 15.5
149
violent crimes reported in 2025
733
property crimes reported in 2025
College town
Three Rivers College calls Poplar Bluff home
Landmarks 21 places in Poplar Bluff on the National Register of Historic Places.
All landmarks → Famous people from Poplar Bluff 26 notable people were born in Poplar Bluff.
See all 26 →
Poplar Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Missouri, United States, that is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. The population was 16,225 at the 2020 census. The Poplar Bluff Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of all of Butler County. The city is at the crossroads of U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 67.
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Population 16,225
Area 13 sq mi
Elevation 361 ft
ZIP code 63901, 63902
Area code 573 
![St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Ry. [Railway] Station](https://images.towntapestry.org/story/10149/f5b7f9de3f1a8668efb5-l.jpg)
