City profile · Missouri · Census ACS 2023

Festus, MO

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Festus - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

12,965
Residents
$70,085
Median income
$206,200
Median home
$1,218
Median rent (state)

Festus - the verdict

Nationally, Festus sits in the 49th percentile for household income and the 55th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

49th
percentile, household income
45th
percentile, home value
38th
percentile, median rent
55th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Festus, MO

Missouri's Festus is a small town, with 12,965 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Festus brings in $70,085 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.9%. Festus's housing stock carries a median value of $206,200, and the median resident age is 35.4 years. Educational attainment runs 21.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 146 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 211% from five years earlier. Festus reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1212.3 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Festus's yearly average temperature at 55.7°F with 43.6 inches of precipitation per year and 9.2 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Missouri run below the national norm: the state registers 90.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,218 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $219 across Missouri, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 90.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

12,965 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Missouri

Median Household Income

$70,085 /yr

Poverty 9.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Missouri average

How does Festus compare to other US cities?

Where Festus sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 45% pricier than other cities
Median rent 38% pricier than other cities
Safety 55% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Missouri and the picture shifts: Festus ranks #102 of 234 Missouri cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Festus's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Missouri, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

49thIncome percentile
55thSafety percentile

49th percentile nationally for median household income · 55th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Festus's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Festus's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 54 Avg. percentile National median
Festus's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Festus's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$206,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 55% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Festus $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Festus, MO Festus, MO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Festus, MO-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Festus, MO median $70,085/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Festus, MO's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Festus, MO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
12,965
Median Income
$70,085
Median Home Value
$206,200
Median Age
35.4
Poverty Rate
9.9%
Labor force participation
58.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1212.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
182.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1029.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
55.7°F
Annual Precipitation
43.6"
Annual Snowfall
9.2"

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
12,500 residents13,000 residents13,500 residents14,000 residents14,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 12,787 residents 14,066 residents ▲ +10.0%
Festus's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
146
housing units authorized
Single-Family
42
detached homes
Multifamily
104
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
11.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 47
2020 100
2021 149
2022 109
2023 154
2024 146

Permit volume increased 211% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
83.2%
Carpool
5.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
9.3%
Other
0.7%

Based on 5,402 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Missouri - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$72
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$219
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Missouri state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Missouri state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Festus sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,218/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Missouri

Jennings
12,900 people
St. Ann
12,865 people
Neosho
12,857 people
Dardenne Prairie
13,137 people
Webb City
13,139 people
Branson
12,760 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Festus's 12,965 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lynnfield, MA
12,964 people
Bedford, OH
12,960 people
Miami, OK
12,960 people
Somerville, NJ
12,958 people
Ionia, MI
12,950 people
Newcastle, WA
12,945 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Festus's $70,085 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Marietta, GA
$70,086 median income
Jamestown, IN
$70,083 median income
Bay St. Louis, MS
$70,082 median income
Glens Falls, NY
$70,089 median income
Heyburn, ID
$70,078 median income
Meadowview, VA
$70,078 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Festus, MO Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Festus, MO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 87.5% 8.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.2% White 87.5% Black or African American 3.2% Asian 0.3% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 8.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Festus compares to nearby Missouri cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Festus (this city) 12,965 $70,085
Jennings 12,900 $37,356
St. Ann 12,865 $52,059
Neosho 12,857 $55,159
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MO FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Festus, MO?

What is the population of Festus, MO? +

Festus, MO counts 12,965 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Festus, MO? +

The median household income in Festus is $70,085 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Festus? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Festus; the closest available measure is the Missouri state average, a cost of living index of 90.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Missouri vary by metro area.

Is Festus, MO safe? +

Festus has a total crime rate of 1212.3 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Festus, MO? +

The median home value in Festus is $206,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Festus? +

Climate normals put Festus's yearly average temperature at 55.7°F, 43.6 inches of precipitation, and 9.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.