65438 ZIP Code — Birch Tree, MO

Shannon County, Missouri

ZIP code 65438 is located in Birch Tree, Missouri, within Shannon County. It covers approximately 295.42 square miles and serves a population of 2,490 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 573/417.

About ZIP code 65438

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $109,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $42,917. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks. 23% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 65438 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,490

population

295.42

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

65438 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 65438

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 65438. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Birch Tree	Acceptable
Birch Tree	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

65588 Winona (12.9 mi) 65588 Winona (12.9 mi) 65788 Peace Valley (13.4 mi) 65606 Alton (13.5 mi) 65548 Mountain View (15 mi) 65466 Eminence (17.3 mi) 63941 Fremont (18.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,490
Population density	8 / sq mi
State FIPS	29
County FIPS	203

Geography
Land area	295.42 sq mi
Water area	0.06 sq mi
Latitude	36.9264
Longitude	-91.5040
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	573/417

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	74.3%	70.6%	43.8%
$50k – $100k	17.5%	22.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	7.3%	6.5%	19.5%
Over $200k	0.9%	0.8%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

2,490

Population

People per sq mi

51.2

Median age

$42,917

Median household income

$22,480

Per capita income

$109,100

Median home value

$477

Median monthly rent

84.7%

Home ownership

20.6%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

1,166

Housing units

14.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

119

20–24

118

161

25–34

161

35–44

217

45–54

216

116

55–59

116

171

60–64

169

155

65–74

155

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	354	14.2%
18 and over	2,136	85.8%
65 and over	476	19.1%
Median age	51.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.4%

Two or more races 4.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,358	94.4%
Two or more races	108	4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	1%
Hispanic or Latino	7	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	74.3%	70.6%	43.8%
$50k – $100k	17.5%	22.0%	31.5%
$100k – $200k	7.3%	6.5%	19.5%
Over $200k	0.9%	0.8%	5.2%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 7.8%

$15k–$25k 19.6%

$25k–$35k 14.3%

$35k–$50k 10.5%

$50k–$75k 19.5%

$75k–$100k 12.5%

$100k–$150k 9.5%

$150k–$200k 1.4%

$200k+ 1.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	7.8%
$15k–$25k	19.6%
$25k–$35k	14.3%
$35k–$50k	10.5%
$50k–$75k	19.5%
$75k–$100k	12.5%
$100k–$150k	9.5%
$150k–$200k	1.4%
$200k+	1.0%
Median income	$42,917

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.5%

$50k–$100k 30.0%

$100k–$150k 19.3%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k–$300k 20.3%

$300k–$500k 5.4%

$500k–$1M 2.9%

$1M+ 2.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$109,100
Median rent / month	$477
Owner occupied	84.7%
Renter occupied	15.3%
Vacant	24.7%
Single-family detached	72.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	22.0%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.8%
2010–2019	9.9%
2000–2009	11.5%
1990–1999	14.3%
1980–1989	21.5%
1970–1979	16.1%
1960–1969	7.6%
1950–1959	5.1%
1940–1949	4.2%
1939 or earlier	7.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	4.9%
2 bedrooms	21.9%
3 bedrooms	60.5%
4 bedrooms	9.8%
5+ bedrooms	0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.0%
1 vehicle	16.1%
2 vehicles	47.2%
3 or more	29.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.5%
Electricity	26.9%
Propane / LP gas	27.1%
Wood	44.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	563	56.7%
Cohabiting couple	78	7.9%
Male householder, no spouse	209	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	143	14.4%
Households with children under 18	145	14.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	348	35.0%
Average household size	2.47

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	16.8%	17.8%
Married	63.3%	59.4%
Separated	0.2%	1.8%
Widowed	1.3%	14.1%
Divorced	18.4%	6.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%

Some HS, no diploma 9.6%

HS graduate 46.2%

Some college, no degree 23.1%

Associate's degree 4.1%

Bachelor's degree 6.6%

Graduate / professional 7.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.4%
Bachelor's or higher	14.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	30	11.2%
Kindergarten	11	4.1%
Elementary school	122	45.7%
High school	34	12.7%
College / grad school	70	26.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.0%

Construction 13.4%

Manufacturing 13.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.2%

Other services 8.6%

Retail trade 7.9%

Transportation & utilities 7.7%

Professional & management 7.7%

Agriculture & mining 6.3%

Public administration 2.4%

Finance & real estate 1.2%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.6%
Service	22.4%
Sales & office	17.8%
Natural resources & construction	17.8%
Production & transportation	15.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.9%
Government	9.7%
Self-employed	14.5%
Unpaid family workers	4.9%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	67.7%
Carpool	17.6%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.7%
Work from home	13.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.1

Poverty

All people 20.6%

Under 18 years 22.7%

18 and over 20.4%

Married-couple families 22.6%

Female-led households 32.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.9%
Retirement income	26.9%
Supplemental Security	8.2%
Cash public assistance	0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.1%
High blood pressure	38.9%
High cholesterol	38.9%
Diabetes	14.9%
Heart disease	10.3%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	35.0%
Kidney disease	4.1%
Pulmonary disease	13.7%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	28.2%
Binge drinking	14.6%
No physical activity	35.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.4%
Depression	25.7%
Fair or poor health	25.2%
Poor mental health	17.5%
Poor physical health	16.9%
No health insurance	20.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.3%
Visited dentist	47.2%
Cholesterol screening	86.5%
Teeth loss	27.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	129	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.4%
Under 18	1.7%
18–64 years	19.2%
65 and over	34.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.7%
Public insurance	31.6%
No insurance	22.8%
Uninsured under 19	41.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,326	93.4%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,482	99.7%
Born in same state	2,465	99.0%
Born in different state	1,494	60.0%
Foreign born	17	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	8	0.3%
Not a US citizen	8	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	394	15.8%
French	315	12.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	189	7.6%
Irish	10	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.9%
Internet access	92.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 65438

What city is ZIP code 65438 in?

ZIP code 65438 is primarily assigned to Birch Tree, Missouri.

What county is ZIP code 65438 in?

ZIP code 65438 falls within Shannon County, Missouri.

Does ZIP code 65438 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 65438 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 65438?

21% of residents in ZIP code 65438 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 65438 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 65438 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 65438?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 65438 in?

ZIP code 65438 observes the CST timezone.