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Alba vs Union Star

190 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (47 min in Alba) and property tax bill (+40% in Union Star).

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Alba, MOA small town of 624Missouri · 624 people

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Union Star, MOHomes around $181KMissouri · 559 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AlbaA small town of 624

Quiet strengthsAlba doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Alba →

Union StarHomes around $181K

Housing$181K typical home32% below the MO typical home All about Union Star →

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Average commute47 min

Alba has the shorter commute

Union Star 82 minAlba 35 min

Property tax bill+40%

Tax bills are bigger in Union Star

Union Star $1,009Alba $722

Typical home built15 yrs

Union Star’s homes are older

Alba 1977Union Star 1962

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $600 more a month in Union Star

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Alba$500/mo

Typical home $83K (Census) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $865/mo · Housing →

Union Star$1,090/mo

Typical home $181K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $913/mo · Housing →

The difference: $600 a month, about $7,200 a year, between Union Star and Alba.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AlbaUnion Star

Snow a year8″18″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st 53rd

Outdoors & history

AlbaUnion Star

Settled1882 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

AlbaUnion Star

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

190 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AlbaMO Union StarMO

Alba ↔ Union Star190 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Missouri average

AlbaUnion Star

People

Population 624Highest 559Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2% MO: +2.8% —

Median age 29±9.4Highest 26% below MO 27.4±6.4Lowest 30% below MO

Alba and Union Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 40.5%±19.9Highest MO: 22.3% 24.5%±3.8Lowest MO: 22.3%

Alba and Union Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 12.3%±4.4Lowest MO: 17.9% 19.1%±3.2Highest MO: 17.9%

Union Star and Alba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.3%Lowest MO: 32.4% 16.1%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±1.8Lowest MO: 5.7% 7.7%±6.8Highest MO: 5.7%

Union Star and Alba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $51,510±$4kLowest 27% below MO $61,299±$9kHighest 13% below MO

Union Star and Alba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $83,200±$10kLowest 64% below MO $105,700±$13kHighest 54% below MO

Union Star and Alba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $865±$168Lowest 16% below MO $913±$94Highest 12% below MO

Union Star and Alba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $722Lowest 63% below MO $1,009Highest 48% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.5%±34.5Highest MO: 45.6% 10%±30.3Lowest MO: 45.6%

Alba and Union Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 32.4%Highest MO: 12.6% 4.5%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 67.7%Highest MO: 68.1% 64.1%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 1 yr older than MO 1962Lowest 16 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 35 minLowest 50% above MO 82 minHighest 248% above MO

Work from home 9%±8.3Highest MO: 13% 5.6%±4.3Lowest MO: 13%

Alba and Union Star are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 22.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.18Highest 0.15Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Joplin (28%)St. Joseph (36%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Union StarFew work in Alba

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 131Lowest 172Highest

Missouri average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Alba neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alba’s Town Square.

Union Star neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Union Star’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alba and Union Star

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Towns like Alba

Leeton660 people · $100K homes

Higbee507 people · $56K homes

La Belle775 people · $79K homes

Atlanta499 people · $99K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.