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%

Carthage$1,400/mo

Typical home $239K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $975/mo · Housing →

Ferguson$750/mo

Typical home $116K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.51% · or rent about $1,119/mo · Housing →

The difference: $650 a month, about $7,800 a year, between Carthage and Ferguson.

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

Carthage places higher on 15 of 25 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

B−CarthageSafer than 49% of U.S. towns D−FergusonSafer than 4% of U.S. towns

Schools

BCarthageBetter than 62% of districts in the state DFergusonBetter than 14% of districts in the state

Health

D−CarthageHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns D−FergusonHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns

15Carthage

9Ferguson

Lists won, of 25 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #62#246 Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #69#188 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #21#174 SafestSafety · 156 towns #60#144 Most remote workersWork · 255 towns #166#49 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #143#42 Best libraries for kidsLibraries · 50 towns #31#47 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #261#179

Left end = #1 in Missouri. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Carthage’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

CarthageFerguson

Snow a year8″17″

January low25°F 24°F

July high90°F 90°F

Growing season (days)206d 215d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)41st 62nd

Outdoors & history

CarthageFerguson

Trails2 mi 2 mi

Conserved land3.1%2.5%

Settled1842 1894

National Register places7 5

Archive photos—19

Famous people born here32 8

Community

CarthageFerguson

Library hours a week51 hrs 60 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

246 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CarthageMO FergusonMO

Carthage ↔ Ferguson246 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

CarthageFerguson

People

Population 15,574Lowest 18,213Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8%Highest MO: +2.8% -12.6%Lowest MO: +2.8%

Median age 32.2±4.1Lowest 17% below MO 34.5±1.5Highest 12% below MO

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

Kids under 18 32.3%±4.1Highest MO: 22.3% 26.1%±3.6Lowest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 13.2%±1.9Lowest MO: 17.9% 14.1%±2.2Highest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.1%Highest MO: 32.4% 21.3%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±1.1Lowest MO: 5.7% 3.7%±1.3Highest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $51,328±$5kHighest 27% below MO $47,524±$7kLowest 33% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $146,800±$9kHighest 36% below MO $109,900±$12kLowest 52% below MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $975±$69Lowest 6% below MO $1,119±$54Highest 8% above MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,095Lowest 44% below MO $1,661Highest 15% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 61.2%±16Lowest MO: 45.6% 64.6%±13.6Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 27.2%Highest MO: 12.6% 24.2%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 53%Highest MO: 68.1% 48.2%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1973Highest 5 yrs older than MO 1957Lowest 21 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 34% below MO 24 minHighest about the MO average

Work from home 6.5%±2.9Lowest MO: 13% 16.8%±4.5Highest MO: 13%

Work in townworking residents 31.6%Highest 2.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.8 miHighest 8.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.52Highest 0.58Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Joplin (21%)St. Louis (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FergusonFew work in Carthage

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Highest 2.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.1 miHighest 1.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6 6

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.9Lowest 99.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #148 of 226 in MO #219 of 226 in MO

School district CARTHAGE R-IXFERGUSON-FLORISSANT R-II

High school in town Carthage High SchoolSTEAM Academy at MSB High Scho

Students per teacherat that high school 18.4Highest 13.2Lowest

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.

Carthage neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Carthage’s Town Square.

Ferguson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ferguson’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.

Carthage vs Ferguson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $650 more a month in Carthage

Carthage places higher on 15 of 25 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

246 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Carthage and Ferguson

Towns like Carthage

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