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Arnold vs Imperial

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (65× in Arnold) and street grid (2.3× in Arnold).

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Arnold, MOAn outdoors townMissouri · 20,956 people
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Imperial, MOOne of the healthiest townsMissouri · 5,488 people
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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.

ArnoldAn outdoors town
Outdoors#12 most conserved land in MO6.5 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves Health54% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Arnold →
ImperialOne of the healthiest towns
Health62% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 49%of MO districts Housing$331K typical home24% above the MO typical home All about Imperial →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Trails65×
Arnold has more miles of trail
Arnold 6.5 miImperial 0.1 mi
Street grid2.3×
Arnold has the more walkable street grid
Arnold 70.4Imperial 31.1
Size3.8×
Arnold is the bigger place
Arnold 20,956Imperial 5,488
Growth since 2010+6.6 pts
Arnold has grown faster since 2010
Arnold +0.2%Imperial -6.4%
Homeowners+12.8 pts renters
Arnold has more renters
Imperial 92.6%Arnold 79.8%
Age 65++7.7 pts
Arnold has more people 65 and up
Arnold 19.5%Imperial 11.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Imperial

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.

Arnold$1,630/mo
Typical home $276K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $1,112/mo · Housing →
Imperial$1,990/mo
Typical home $331K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $1,446/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Imperial and Arnold.

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.

Where they are

Arnold and Imperial share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ArnoldImperialArnoldImperial
Arnold ↔ Imperial5.1 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
159 Imperial residents work in Arnold (7.2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Imperial →
Report cards

Arnold places higher on 10 of 18 MO lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Missouri ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
BArnoldBetter than 61% of districts in the state B−ImperialBetter than 49% of districts in the state
Health
B−ArnoldHealthier than 46% of U.S. towns C+ImperialHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns
10Arnold
6Imperial

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #105#223 Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #148#218 Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #151#96 Cheapest rentCost of living · 256 towns #176#235 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #146#203 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #218#182 Most remote workersWork · 255 towns #140#110 Lowest property taxCost of living · 259 towns #156#185

Left end = #1 in Missouri. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Arnold’s rankings →

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
ArnoldImperial
Snow a year10″9″
January low—22°F
July high—88°F
Growing season (days)—197d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)70th67th
Outdoors & history
ArnoldImperial
Trails7 mi—
Conserved land10%—
National Register places—1
Archive photos72
Famous people born here31
Community
ArnoldImperial
Library hours a week60 hrs—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

ArnoldImperial
People
Population 20,956Highest 5,488Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.2%Highest MO: +2.8% -6.4%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 39.7±2.5Highest about the MO average 36.3±4.7Lowest 7% below MO
Arnold and Imperial are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.7%±2.7Lowest MO: 22.3% 28.8%±5.5Highest MO: 22.3%
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.5%±2.1Highest MO: 17.9% 11.8%±0.5Lowest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.4%Highest MO: 32.4% 21.4%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±1.1Lowest MO: 5.7% 5.7%±2Highest MO: 5.7%
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $78,370±$7kLowest 11% above MO $90,028±$27kHighest 27% above MO
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $220,000±$9kLowest 4% below MO $228,700±$21kHighest about the MO average
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,112±$60Lowest 8% above MO $1,446±$306Highest 40% above MO
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,729Lowest 11% below MO $2,095Highest 8% above MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.2%±8.6Lowest MO: 45.6% 37.4%±58.2Highest MO: 45.6%
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.2%Lowest MO: 12.6% 11.1%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 79.8%Lowest MO: 68.1% 92.6%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 1 yr older than MO 1990Highest 12 yrs newer than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 16% above MO 24 minLowest 4% above MO
Work from home 8.1%±2Lowest MO: 13% 9.9%±3.3Highest MO: 13%
Imperial and Arnold are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.4%Highest 2.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 17.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.97Highest 0.57Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town St. Louis (16%)St. Louis (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Imperial7% work in Arnold
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 6.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.4Highest 31.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #149 of 226 in MO#144 of 226 in MO
School district FOX C-6WINDSOR C-1
High school in town Fox SR. HighWindsor High
Students per teacherat that high school 18.2Highest 15.6Lowest
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.

Arnold neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arnold’s Town Square.

Imperial neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imperial’s Town Square.

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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.

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