Town guide

South Fork, Missouri

South Fork is a community in Howell County, Missouri, home to about 67 people across 3.5 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 65775.

Homes sold for a median of $136 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population6719 per sq mi
Price per sq ft$136Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026

ZIP codes in South Fork

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside South Fork. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The South Fork guide is on the way

We’re writing up South Fork’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around South Fork

Distances

Nearest major airportFrederick W. Smith International Airport (MEM)157 miles away
Closer regional airportWaynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport-Forney Field (TBN)72 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Memphis, TN154 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Dallas, TX388 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of South Fork; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents South Fork

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

South Fork had 212 residents in the 2020 census, down 12% since 2010.

It’s the 937th largest of 1,060 towns in Missouri by population.

Howell County grew from 21,834 residents in 1900 to 39,750 in 2020.

South Fork population by census2010: 241, 2020: 21224120102122020

Howell County, 1900–2020

Howell County population, 1900 to 20201900: 21,834, 1910: 21,065, 1920: 21,102, 1930: 19,672, 1940: 22,270, 1950: 22,725, 1960: 22,027, 1970: 23,521, 1980: 28,807, 1990: 31,447, 2000: 37,238, 2010: 40,400, 2020: 39,75022K’00’1021K’20’3022K’40’5022K’60’7029K’80’9037K’00’1040K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 49.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 9 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near South ForkJan: high 44°F, low 22°F, 3.3 in; Feb: high 49°F, low 26°F, 3 in; Mar: high 58°F, low 33°F, 4.8 in; Apr: high 69°F, low 43°F, 5.7 in; May: high 76°F, low 53°F, 5.6 in; Jun: high 84°F, low 61°F, 3.5 in; Jul: high 89°F, low 66°F, 3.7 in; Aug: high 87°F, low 64°F, 4.1 in; Sep: high 80°F, low 56°F, 4 in; Oct: high 69°F, low 44°F, 3.8 in; Nov: high 57°F, low 34°F, 4.5 in; Dec: high 46°F, low 26°F, 3.5 in44°22°Jan3.349°26°Feb3.058°33°Mar4.869°43°Apr5.776°53°May5.684°61°Jun3.589°66°Jul3.787°64°Aug4.180°56°Sep4.069°44°Oct3.857°34°Nov4.546°26°Dec3.5Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, W Plains, MO weather station (about a mile away).

Jobs in Howell County

15,374 jobs at 1,076 businesses in Howell County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Howell CountyHealth care and social assistance: 5,755 jobs; Manufacturing: 2,355 jobs; Retail trade: 2,135 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 1,392 jobs; Wholesale trade: 620 jobs; Other services: 530 jobs; Construction: 452 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 372 jobsHealth care and social assistance 37% Manufacturing 15% Retail trade 14% Hotels and restaurants 9% Wholesale trade 4% Other services 3% Construction 3% Transportation and warehousing 2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2022 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

389 doctors and other health care providers list an office in South Fork.

Nearest hospitals

  • Ozarks HealthcareGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · West PlainsUnder a mile
  • Mercy St. Francis HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Mountain View21.1 miles
  • Baxter Health Fulton County HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Salem24.1 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors41
Specialist doctors65
Dentists17
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants64
Mental health providers116
Physical and occupational therapists67
Optometrists8
Chiropractors11
Pharmacies9

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around South Fork

Parks (9 nearby)

  • People's Park · 10 acres0.4 mi
  • Evans Sports Complex · 9 acres1.3 mi
  • Carmichael Field · 7 acres0.8 mi
  • Don Warden Park · 4 acres1.0 mi
  • Georgia White Walking Park · 4 acres0.8 mi
  • Butler Children's Park · 3 acres0.4 mi

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Walmart Supercenter0.9 mi
  • Aldi1.0 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • Walgreens0.8 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • West Plains Public Library0.7 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • James P. Harlin Museum0.9 mi

Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)

  • Yellow House Community Arts Center1.0 mi
  • Avenue Theatre1.1 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in South Fork

Public schools here are run by Fairview R-Xi, Glenwood R-Viii, Howell Valley R-I and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (11)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Fairview Elem.West PlainsPre-K–8466Public3.5 mi
Glenwood Elem.West PlainsPre-K–8252Public3.8 mi
Howell Valley Elem.West PlainsPre-K–8201Public3.2 mi
Junction Hill Elem.West PlainsPre-K–8186Public5.0 mi
Richards Elem.West PlainsPre-K–8389Public4.3 mi
South Fork Elem.West PlainsPre-K–6196Public8.8 mi
West Plains Elem.West PlainsPre-K–4767Public1.9 mi
Ozark Horizon SchoolWest PlainsK–1217Special Education2.3 mi
West Plains MiddleWest Plains5–8555Public1.7 mi
Southern Mo Tech InstituteWest Plains9–12—Career and Technical1.1 mi
West Plains Sr.. HighWest Plains9–121,108Public1.5 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where South Fork is

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Towns near South Fork

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Shares ZIP codes with West Plains and Brandsville.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.