Live where you play!
Moving to a new community is an important decision, and the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce is able to provide answers to many questions about the beautiful area millions enjoy each year on vacation.
The moderate cost of living, low crime rate, excellent schools, high-quality health care, pleasant climate, beautiful environment and the variety of opportunities make Branson a great place to live. You’ll find many people who moved here after discovering Branson on vacation. They come here for a variety of reasons: to raise their families, start new businesses and to retire.
The Branson/Lakes Area offers a lifestyle that is unparalleled with its three beautiful lakes, breathtaking scenery framed by the Ozark Mountains, world-class entertainment, and friendly people.
Branson’s primary industry is tourism, and that means Branson residents are always ready to meet newcomers. The City of Branson currently has a population of about 7,500 and hosts nearly eight million visitors each year. That’s why this relatively small town enjoys services and amenities of large cities including the Branson Airport, a full-service commercial airport which opened in 2009.
No other city of 8,000 residents has more than 268 restaurants, five shopping centers (three outlet centers, one mall, and one lakefront, lifestyle retail center) and numerous big-name retailers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target, Kohl's and more. There are a dozen golf courses, and enough entertainment to keep anyone busy year-round. And Skaggs Regional Medical Center offers state-of-the-art health care. The Tri-Lakes area has grown tremendously over the past 20 years, and residents have supported this growth by providing funds for improvements including a growing network of streets and highways, and state-of-the-art water and wastewater treatment systems to provide top notch service to residents and visitors while protecting the environment.
Branson is a community that cares. Many residents volunteer their time for projects that include beautification, service to non-profit organizations through events such as Community Day of Caring, and hosting numerous charitable events such as Relay for Life, and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl For Kids’ Sake.
Below is general information regarding moving to the area. For a complete guide and additional useful area information you will want to order our Relocation Information Packet.
Housing Information
Housing Units - 2006 Source
Taney County: 23,382 MapStats
Stone County: 17,518 MapStats
Branson: 5,424 City of Branson
Median Household Size: 2.4
Home Price Ranges - 2007
Branson home price range: $49,000 - $1.5 million
Tri-Lakes Area price range: $24,900 to $3.8 million
Branson lakefront/lakeview homes: $70,000 - $1.5 million
Tri-Lakes Area lakefront/lakeview homes: $36,000 -
$3.8 million
3 bed./2 bath home in Branson city limits: $194,000.
Note: In 2007, 67 percent of homes sold in Taney County were less than $175,000.
Source: Cooper Appraisal
Comparative Cost of Living
In the first quarter of 2008, Missouri had the fifth lowest cost of living in the United States at 90.0, according to Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. The index was 87.9 in the Springfield/Branson area, rising to 96.1 in the Kansas City area. The rankings are based on the costs of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous. Highest costs are found in California, Connecticut and New York.
Source: Missouri Economic Research and
Information Center
Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors
The Branson area has an active association of Realtors, a great resource for finding experienced real estate professionals and getting qualified information on buying and selling homes and commercial property in the area.
Visit the Tri-Lakes Board of Realtors at their website at www.trilakesboardofrealtors.com, or contact their office at 417-338-4555.
The office is located at 2875 State Highway 265 in Branson, and has a beautiful view of Table Rock Lake.
Schools
Students in the Branson area enjoy a variety of academic programs and extracurricular activities at the area’s public, private, technical and post-secondary schools. Mary area not-for-profit organizations have active relationships with the area schools to providing resources from after-school care to summer activities.
The Branson area is also home to several private, faith based schools. Listings for these schools can be found in local phone directories available in the Chamber / CVB’s welcome center at 269 Highway 248 in Branson.
For more information, you can contact the individual public schools. Branson Chamber Member schools or visit the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website at www.dese.mo.gov.
Call the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB for more information at 800-214-3661.
Churches
The Branson area has a long tradition of being a faith-based community.
Residents and visitors can choose from multiple places of worship throughout the community. In addition to the list below, area newspapers and other publications include church listings along with worship times and locations.
Several of Branson's theaters and other area businesses host Sunday morning worship services.
