City profile · Missouri · Census ACS 2023

Garden City, MO

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

1,539
Residents
$63,625
Median income
$165,200
Median home
$1,358
Median rent (state)

Garden City - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Garden City lands in the 41st percentile for household income and the 85th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

41st
percentile, household income
32nd
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
85th
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: Garden City, MO

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 1,539 residents in Garden City, a small town within Missouri. Median household income here is $63,625 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Garden City's housing stock carries a median value of $165,200, and the median resident age is 36.3 years. Educational attainment runs 8.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 3 residential building permits were authorized in Garden City (Building Boom), up 50% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Garden City reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 512.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Missouri run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Missouri at 90.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,358 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $219 across Missouri, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 28.9 minutes, with 83.9% driving alone and 3.5% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 74.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).

Population

1,539 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Missouri

Median Household Income

$63,625 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Missouri average

How does Garden City compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 41% higher than other cities
Home value 32% pricier than other cities
Median rent 51% pricier than other cities
Safety 85% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Missouri alone, Garden City ranks #21 of 234 Missouri cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Garden City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Missouri only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Missouri-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Garden City near the bottom of Missouri's cities

Among the 875 Missouri cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Garden City ranks #795 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Garden City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#277 of 842
67th percentile in Missouri
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 875
88th percentile in Missouri
Median Home Value
#260 of 833
69th percentile in Missouri
Poverty Rate
#795 of 875
0th percentile in Missouri
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#691 of 875
21st percentile in Missouri

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Missouri only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

41stIncome percentile
85thSafety percentile

41st percentile nationally for median household income · 85th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Garden City's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Garden City'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 62 Avg. percentile National median
Garden City'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 Garden City's home value compares nationally

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

$165,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 68% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $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. Garden City $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 - Garden City, MO Garden City, MO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Garden City, 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 Garden City, MO median $63,625/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%
Garden City, 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 Garden City, MO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 8.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.3%

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

Population
1,539
Median Income
$63,625
Median Home Value
$165,200
Median Age
36.3
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
65.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
8.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
512.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
64.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
448.1
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.

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,560 residents1,580 residents1,600 residents1,620 residents1,640 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,634 residents 1,617 residents ▼ -1.0%
Garden City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 3
2021 6
2022 4
2023 2
2024 3

Permit volume increased 50% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
28.9 minutes
Drive Alone
83.9%
Carpool
12.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
3.5%

Based on 737 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 Garden City sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,358/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
74.9 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Missouri

Crane
1,545 people
Advance
1,549 people
Fair Grove
1,551 people
Leadwood
1,524 people
Bismarck
1,560 people
Cedar Hill
1,568 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Garden City's 1,539 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Keystone Heights, FL
1,539 people
Wellman, IA
1,539 people
Fountain Green, UT
1,539 people
Jamesport, NY
1,538 people
Minco, OK
1,540 people
Ucon, ID
1,537 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Garden City's $63,625 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Oak Grove CDP (Washington County), TN
$63,625 median income
Madera, CA
$63,619 median income
Bonneauville, PA
$63,631 median income
Eaton Rapids, MI
$63,618 median income
Clyde, TX
$63,616 median income
Mentone, IN
$63,636 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Garden City, 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 Garden City, MO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 89.9% 8.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.8% White 89.9% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.2% Two or more races 8.1% 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 Garden City 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
Garden City (this city) 1,539 $63,625
Crane 1,545 $47,892
Advance 1,549 $51,583
Fair Grove 1,551 $71,447
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MO FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Garden City, MO?

What is the population of Garden City, MO? +

The population of Garden City, MO stands at 1,539 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Garden City, MO? +

Median annual household income in Garden City runs $63,625, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Garden City? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Garden City; 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 Garden City, MO safe? +

Garden City has a total crime rate of 512.1 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 Garden City, MO? +

Homes in Garden City carry a median value of $165,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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

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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.