City profile · Missouri · Census ACS 2023

Kearney, MO

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

10,696
Residents
$102,523
Median income
$275,200
Median home
$1,358
Median rent (state)

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
51st
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. Kearney households earn a median of $102,523 annually, 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 $1,358 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Missouri run around $219, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 89.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

10,696 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Missouri

Median Household Income

$102,523 /yr

Poverty 2.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Missouri average

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 income 79% higher than other cities
Home value 61% pricier than other cities
Median rent 51% pricier than other cities
Safety 71% 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

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 Kearney'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.

79thIncome percentile
71stSafety percentile

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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 65 Avg. percentile National median
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+)

$275,200 39th percentile more affordable than 39% 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%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Kearney $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 - Kearney, MO Kearney, MO's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Kearney, 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 Kearney, MO median $102,523/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%
Kearney, 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 Kearney, MO. Diagonal = perfect equality.

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

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

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,000 residents10,500 residents11,000 residents11,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 10,466 residents 11,296 residents ▲ +7.9%
Kearney's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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
2019 71
2020 125
2021 84
2022 63
2023 23
2024 43

Permit volume decreased 39% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

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

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 Kearney 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
89.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Missouri

Bellefontaine Neighbors
10,562 people
Maryville
10,556 people
Smithville
10,552 people
Excelsior Springs
10,502 people
Bolivar
10,996 people
Kennett
10,236 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Kearney's 10,696 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Fuller Heights, FL
10,697 people
Felida, WA
10,695 people
Orono, ME
10,699 people
Lexington, NE
10,693 people
Soquel, CA
10,691 people
Tarboro, NC
10,705 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Kearney's $102,523 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Milford, MI
$102,521 median income
Oyster Bay, NY
$102,540 median income
Westwood, KS
$102,500 median income
Bancroft, KY
$102,500 median income
Northeast Harbor, ME
$102,500 median income
Bethel, MN
$102,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Kearney, 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 Kearney, MO - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 95.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.7% White 95.3% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 0.4% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 3.3% 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 Kearney 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
Kearney (this city) 10,696 $102,523
Bellefontaine Neighbors 10,562 $48,354
Maryville 10,556 $48,099
Smithville 10,552 $99,925
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MO FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Kearney, MO?

What is the population of Kearney, MO? +

Kearney, MO has a population of 10,696 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

In Kearney, the typical household earns $102,523 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Kearney? +

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

Kearney has a total crime rate of 825.4 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 Kearney, MO? +

Homes in Kearney carry a median value of $275,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Kearney? +

Climate normals put Kearney's yearly average temperature at 53.7°F, 41.2 inches of precipitation, and 19.4 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

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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.