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Business phone system for general rental centers in Missouri

74 general rental centers operated in Missouri in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
74CBP 2023
Employees
508mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
1.2U.S. 0.8
State rank
12th of 51by count

General rental centers in Missouri by the numbers

County Business Patterns counts 74 establishments in Missouri classified as General Rental Centers (NAICS 532310) for 2023. They employed 508 people in mid-March and reported $23.9 million in annual payroll. That is the 12th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. General rental centers make up 0.05% of the 151,475 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Missouri has 1.2 general rental centers, 47.9% above the national rate of 0.8. The average establishment has 6.9 employees against 7.2 nationally. Payroll per employee is $47,085, 20.2% below the U.S. figure of $59,025.

General rental centers: Missouri compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureMissouriUnited States
Establishments742,725
Mid-March employees50819,738
Annual payroll$23,919,000$1,165,027,000
Employees per establishment6.97.2
Payroll per employee$47,085$59,025
Establishments per 100,000 residents1.20.8

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

General rental centers by metro area in Missouri

Census published general rental center counts for 5 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Missouri. The largest is St. Louis, MO-IL, with 37 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 8.1% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

General rental centers by metro or micropolitan area, Missouri, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
St. Louis, MO-IL372801.3
Kansas City, MO-KS241981.1
St. Joseph, MO-KS4103.4
Springfield, MO3—0.6
Columbia, MO3—1.4

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at general rental centers in Missouri

46.6% of Missouri's general rental centers with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 50.8% nationally. 79.5% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

General rental centers in Missouri by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees3446.6%50.8%
5–9 employees2432.9%26.8%
10–19 employees1216.4%15.4%
20–49 employees34.1%6.1%
50 or more employees00.0%1.0%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

What general rental centers in Missouri use the phone for

General rental centers rent tools, party equipment and more, and customers call about availability and delivery. Weekend events drive call peaks.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for general rental centers in Missouri:

Calls after closing time

Event-related calls often come in the evening.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for general rental centers in Missouri

General rental centers in Missouri average 6.9 employees, so the comparison uses a 7-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 7 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $210.00 a month and 7 on Ooma Office Pro cost $174.65. On Callata the same 7 people cost $139.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $852. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 7-person general rental center
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$139.00$1,668.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$133.00$1,596.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$161.00$1,932.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$174.65$2,095.80
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$189.00$2,268.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$210.00$2,520.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Missouri

Missouri has 9 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your customers know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Missouri by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
573786Central1996235
816785Central1947975
314783Central1947557
417711Central1950none
660516Central1997none
636435Central1999none
55783Central2022314
23541Central2024573
97528Central2023816

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for general rental centers in Missouri

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.

If you already have a number in Missouri, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many general rental centers are in Missouri?

74 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 508 people in mid-March.

Which Missouri metro area has the most general rental centers?

St. Louis, MO-IL, with 37 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 7-person general rental center?

$210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $139.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Missouri number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.