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Cool Valley vs Ferguson

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: size (12.9× in Ferguson) and kids under 18 (+8.1 pts in Cool Valley).

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Cool Valley, MOOne of the healthiest townsMissouri · 1,411 people
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Ferguson, MOHomes around $116KMissouri · 18,213 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.

Cool ValleyOne of the healthiest towns
Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$105K typical home61% below the MO typical home SchoolsBetter than 14%of MO districts All about Cool Valley →
FergusonHomes around $116K
Housing$116K typical home57% below the MO typical home Outdoors#42 most walkable in MO1.6 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves Health96% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Ferguson →
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.

Size12.9×
Ferguson is the bigger place
Ferguson 18,213Cool Valley 1,411
Kids under 18+8.1 pts
Cool Valley has more kids
Cool Valley 34.2%Ferguson 26.1%
Homeowners+14.5 pts renters
Ferguson has more renters
Cool Valley 62.7%Ferguson 48.2%
Average commute7 min
Cool Valley has the shorter commute
Ferguson 24 minCool Valley 17 min
Bachelor’s degree++9.2 pts
More adults in Ferguson have a degree
Ferguson 21.3%Cool Valley 12.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Cool Valley$690/mo
Typical home $105K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.62% · or rent about $992/mo · Housing →
Ferguson$750/mo
Typical home $116K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.51% · or rent about $1,119/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Ferguson and Cool Valley.

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

Cool Valley and Ferguson share a border

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

Cool ValleyFergusonCool ValleyFerguson
Cool Valley ↔ Ferguson1.7 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
13 Cool Valley residents work in Ferguson (3% of its workers)
Work & commute in Cool Valley →
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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
–Cool ValleyNot graded D−FergusonSafer than 4% of U.S. towns
Schools
DCool ValleyBetter than 14% of districts in the state DFergusonBetter than 14% of districts in the state
Health
D−Cool ValleyHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns D−FergusonHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns
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
Cool ValleyFerguson
Snow a year17″17″
January low24°F24°F
July high90°F90°F
Growing season (days)215d215d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)76th62nd
Outdoors & history
Cool ValleyFerguson
Trails—2 mi
Conserved land—2.5%
Settled—1894
National Register places—5
Archive photos—19
Famous people born here—8
Community
Cool ValleyFerguson
Library hours a week—60 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.

Cool ValleyFerguson
People
Population 1,411Lowest 18,213Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -13.1%Lowest MO: +2.8% -12.6%Highest MO: +2.8%
Median age 27.3±7Lowest 30% below MO 34.5±1.5Highest 12% below MO
Ferguson and Cool Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 34.2%±2.7Highest MO: 22.3% 26.1%±3.6Lowest MO: 22.3%
Age 65+ 11.7%±5.2Lowest MO: 17.9% 14.1%±2.2Highest MO: 17.9%
Ferguson and Cool Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.1%Lowest MO: 32.4% 21.3%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±3Highest MO: 5.7% 3.7%±1.3Lowest MO: 5.7%
Cool Valley and Ferguson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $53,560±$13kHighest 24% below MO $47,524±$7kLowest 33% below MO
Cool Valley and Ferguson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $102,800±$13kLowest 55% below MO $109,900±$12kHighest 52% below MO
Ferguson and Cool Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $992±$287Lowest 4% below MO $1,119±$54Highest 8% above MO
Ferguson and Cool Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,668Highest 14% below MO $1,661Lowest 15% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.4%±18Lowest MO: 45.6% 64.6%±13.6Highest MO: 45.6%
Ferguson and Cool Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 28.8%Highest MO: 12.6% 24.2%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 62.7%Highest MO: 68.1% 48.2%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1955Lowest 23 yrs older than MO 1957Highest 21 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 27% below MO 24 minHighest about the MO average
Work from home 19.2%±12.1Highest MO: 13% 16.8%±4.5Lowest MO: 13%
Cool Valley and Ferguson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 2.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 8.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Lowest 0.58Highest
Top workplaceoutside town St. Louis (23%)St. Louis (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in FergusonFew work in Cool Valley
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 2.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 1.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 74.4Lowest 99.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#219 of 226 in MO
School district FERGUSON-FLORISSANT R-IIFERGUSON-FLORISSANT R-II
High school in town The Innovation School at CVSTEAM Academy at MSB High Scho
Students per teacherat that high school 19.6Highest 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.

Cool Valley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cool Valley’s Town Square.

Ferguson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ferguson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Cool Valley and Ferguson

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Bordering Cool Valley

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Normandy4,239 people · $87K homes
B
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Bellerive Acres288 people · $329K homes
B
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Berkeley8,123 people · $82K homes

Towns like Cool Valley

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Pierce City1,477 people · $136K homes
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Seymour2,179 people · $117K homes
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Purdy1,121 people · $92K homes
C
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Crane1,760 people · $121K 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.

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