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Place dossier plate
SheetMO-KEARNEY-MO · Kearney, MO 10,696 pop · income 79th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Kearney
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Kearney on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Bolivar · lowest
44,603
Bolivar · lowest
44,603 median HH income
29.7% of the leader · rank #1
Westwood · near
102,500
Westwood · near
102,500 median HH income
68.1% of the leader · rank #2
Bancroft · near
102,500
Bancroft · near
102,500 median HH income
68.1% of the leader · rank #3
Milford · near
102,521
Milford · near
102,521 median HH income
68.2% of the leader · rank #4
Kearney · this city
102,523
Kearney · this city
102,523 median HH income
68.2% of the leader · rank #5
Oyster Bay · near
102,540
Oyster Bay · near
102,540 median HH income
68.2% of the leader · rank #6
Felida · highest
150,430
Felida · highest
150,430 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Kearney on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 10,696.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Kearney - the verdict
Nationally, Kearney sits in the 79th percentile for household income and the 71st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
79th
percentile, household income
61st
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
71st
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: Kearney, MO
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 10,696 residents in Kearney, a small town within Missouri. Households in Kearney report a median income of $102,523 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.6%. Home values in Kearney run a median of $275,200, and the median resident age is 41.3 years. 34.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 70.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 43 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 39% from five years earlier. Kearney reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 825.4 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). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 53.7°F with 41.2 inches of precipitation per year and 19.4 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 $972 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Missouri run around $219, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 50.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Kearney's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to work and mobility to schools and households to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Kearney, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Kearney?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 825.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 64% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the journey to work look like in Kearney?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 79.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
The NCES join finds 9 public schools within the city match. 34.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Which cities make useful reference points for Kearney?
Within Missouri, the closest population matches are Bellefontaine Neighbors (10,562 residents, $48,354 income); Maryville (10,556 residents, $48,099 income); Smithville (10,552 residents, $99,925 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Fuller Heights, FL (10,697 residents); Felida, WA (10,695 residents); Orono, ME (10,699 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Kearney?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$102,523
Home value
$275,200
Value / income
2.7×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +830 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +7.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 43 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+7.9%
2025 estimate
11,296
2020 estimate
10,466
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.7°F, with 41.2 inches of precipitation and 19.4 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Missouri is 50.6 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
53.7°F
Annual precipitation
41.2 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
50.6
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A-
90.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate A-
2.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income B+
$102,523
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share B-
34.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime D
213 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Kearney profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 83/100 (A-) · 90.8 index
Poverty rate: 81/100 (A-) · 2.6%
Household income: 78/100 (B+) · $102,523
Bachelor's+ share: 65/100 (B-) · 34.0%
Violent crime: 46/100 (D) · 213 /100k
Where Kearney sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Kearney's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Kearney highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Kearney, MO (this city): home $275,200, crime 825/100k
Orono, ME : home $219,200, crime 150/100k
Lexington, NE : home $155,200, crime 1,482/100k
Tarboro, NC : home $155,500, crime 3,361/100k
Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO : home $92,500, crime 3,693/100k
Maryville, MO : home $178,900, crime 1,910/100k
Smithville, MO : home $272,500, crime 891/100k
Excelsior Springs, MO : home $174,000, crime 2,721/100k
Bolivar, MO : home $188,700, crime 1,198/100k
Kennett, MO : home $103,600, crime 4,552/100k
How does Kearney compare to other US cities?
Kearney measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income79% higher than other cities
Home value61% pricier than other cities
Median rent7% pricier than other cities
Safety71% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Missouri, Kearney ranks #53 of 234 Missouri cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Kearney against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Missouri only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Missouri-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Kearney near the bottom of Missouri's cities
Among the 875 Missouri cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Kearney ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Kearney only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#76 of 842
91st percentile in Missouri
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 875
0th percentile in Missouri
Median Home Value
#79 of 833
91st percentile in Missouri
Poverty Rate
#715 of 875
18th percentile in Missouri
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#128 of 875
85th percentile in Missouri
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
79th percentile nationally for median household income · 71st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Kearney's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Kearney'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 Kearney's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$275,20039th percentilemore affordable than 39% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Kearney's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#4,948 of 15,516
More affordable than 68% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#529 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.7×, Kearney sits in the affordable band:
national rank #4,948 of 15,516 and #529 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$102,523Kearney, MO median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Kearney, MO median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Kearney, MO.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)34.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)70.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
10,696
Median Income
$102,523
Median Home Value
$275,200
Median Age
41.3
Poverty Rate
2.6%
Labor force participation
70.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
825.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
213.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
612.4
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
53.7°F
Annual Precipitation
41.2"
Annual Snowfall
19.4"
Schools
Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Kearney's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
10,466 residents
2021
10,762 residents
2022
10,912 residents
2023
11,066 residents
2024
11,191 residents
2025
11,296 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
43
housing units authorized
Single-Family
43
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
71
71
0
$17.0M
2020
125
81
44
$25.7M
2021
84
84
0
$27.5M
2022
63
63
0
$23.4M
2023
23
23
0
$8.2M
2024
43
43
0
$14.0M
Permit volume decreased 39% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
79.3%
Carpool
5.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
15.2%
Based on 5,931 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Missouri statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $219
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Missouri at $219 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Missouri statewide averages, not a meter reading for Kearney. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Missouri's BEA cost-of-living index is 90.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Kearney is $972/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Missouri statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Missouri statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Kearney sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Kearney compares to similar-size Missouri cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.