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%

Arnold$1,630/mo

Typical home $276K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $1,112/mo · Housing →

Washington$1,800/mo

Typical home $307K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $827/mo · Housing →

The difference: $170 a month, about $2,100 a year, between Washington 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.

Report cards

Washington places higher on 12 of 22 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.

Safety

–ArnoldNot graded C+WashingtonSafer than 37% of U.S. towns

Schools

BArnoldBetter than 61% of districts in the state B+WashingtonBetter than 73% of districts in the state

Health

B−ArnoldHealthier than 46% of U.S. towns C+WashingtonHealthier than 45% of U.S. towns

8Arnold

12Washington

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #123#17 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 85 towns #20#60 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #218#108 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #115#6 Most trailsOutdoors · 151 towns #69#132 Best schoolsSchools · 226 towns #149#58 Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #51#152 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #12#97

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

ArnoldWashington

Snow a year10″8″

January low—20°F

July high—88°F

Growing season (days)—199d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)70th 77th

Outdoors & history

ArnoldWashington

Trails7 mi 2 mi

Conserved land10%2.5%

National Register places—42

Archive photos7 12

Famous people born here3 13

Community

ArnoldWashington

Library hours a week60 hrs 68 hrs

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

36 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ArnoldMO WashingtonMO

Arnold ↔ Washington36 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

ArnoldWashington

People

Population 20,956Highest 15,130Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.2%Lowest MO: +2.8% +3.7%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 39.7±2.5Lowest about the MO average 43.1±3Highest 11% above MO

Washington and Arnold 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% 20.9%±3Highest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 19.5%±2.1Lowest MO: 17.9% 20.1%±2.6Highest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.4%Lowest MO: 32.4% 32.3%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±1.1Lowest MO: 5.7% 4.3%±1.7Highest MO: 5.7%

Washington 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 $79,173±$10kHighest 12% above MO

Washington 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 $231,800±$13kHighest about the MO average

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,112±$60Highest 8% above MO $827±$92Lowest 20% below MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,729Highest 11% below MO $1,717Lowest 12% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.2%±8.6Lowest MO: 45.6% 47.8%±9.2Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 8.2%Highest MO: 12.6% 7.9%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 79.8%Highest MO: 68.1% 74%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 1 yr older than MO 1978Highest same as MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 16% above MO 21 minLowest 10% below MO

Work from home 8.1%±2Lowest MO: 13% 12.2%±3.5Highest MO: 13%

Washington 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%Lowest 28.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.8 miLowest 20.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.97Lowest 1.62Highest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Louis (16%)Union (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WashingtonFew work in Arnold

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 10%Highest 2.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 6.5 miHighest 1.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 11Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.4Highest 66.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #149 of 226 in MO #58 of 226 in MO

School district FOX C-6WASHINGTON

High school in town Fox SR. HighWashington High School

Students per teacherat that high school 18.2Highest 16.1Lowest

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.

Washington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Washington’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Arnold and Washington

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Arnold

+ Compare

Imperial5,488 people · $229K homes

Towns like Arnold

+ Compare

Raymore24,526 people · $339K homes

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Gladstone27,207 people · $232K homes

+ Compare

Smithville10,705 people · $291K homes

+ Compare

Jackson15,659 people · $240K 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.

Arnold vs Washington

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $170 more a month in Washington

Washington places higher on 12 of 22 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

36 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Arnold and Washington

Bordering Arnold

Towns like Arnold

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