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%

Dexter$1,010/mo

Typical home $169K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $765/mo · Housing →

Sullivan$1,250/mo

Typical home $211K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $919/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Sullivan and Dexter.

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

Sullivan places higher on 10 of 20 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

CDexterSafer than 25% of U.S. towns DSullivanSafer than 5% of U.S. towns

Schools

–DexterNot graded A−SullivanBetter than 76% of districts in the state

Health

DDexterHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns C−SullivanHealthier than 19% of U.S. towns

9Dexter

10Sullivan

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #148#54 Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #6#96 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #179#86 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #119#203 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #255#174 Fewest smokersHealth · 261 towns #213#134 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #83#158 SafestSafety · 156 towns #97#140

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

DexterSullivan

Snow a year3″8″

January low28°F —

July high91°F —

Growing season (days)225d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)83rd 32nd

Outdoors & history

DexterSullivan

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land2%2.2%

Settled1873 —

National Register places1 2

Archive photos3 —

Famous people born here8 —

Community

DexterSullivan

Library hours a week40 hrs 59 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

118 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DexterMO SullivanMO

Dexter ↔ Sullivan118 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

DexterSullivan

People

Population 7,891Highest 6,310Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.8%Highest MO: +2.8% -2.5%Lowest MO: +2.8%

Median age 38.5±4.3Lowest about the MO average 39.4±4.1Highest about the MO average

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

Kids under 18 24.8%±4.2Highest MO: 22.3% 24.1%±4.5Lowest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 20.9%±3.9Highest MO: 17.9% 20.3%±3.4Lowest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.7%Lowest MO: 32.4% 18.9%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.5Highest MO: 5.7% 2.1%±1.4Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $51,701±$5kLowest 27% below MO $63,370±$8kHighest 10% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $137,200±$12kLowest 40% below MO $163,200±$7kHighest 29% below MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $765±$68Lowest 26% below MO $919±$56Highest 11% below MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,249Lowest 36% below MO $1,372Highest 30% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 25.1%±9Lowest MO: 45.6% 41%±9.2Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 17%Highest MO: 12.6% 11.4%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60%Lowest MO: 68.1% 62.4%Highest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 7 yrs older than MO 1976Highest 2 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 9% below MO 22 minHighest 7% below MO

Work from home 3.8%±2.9Lowest MO: 13% 5.4%±2.7Highest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 33.1%Highest 26.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 25.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.46Highest 1.43Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Sikeston (7%)Union (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SullivanFew work in Dexter

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2%Lowest 2.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 78.7Highest 56.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#53 of 226 in MO

School district —SULLIVAN

High school in town —Sullivan SR. High

Students per teacherat that high school — 13.9

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.

Dexter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dexter’s Town Square.

Sullivan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sullivan’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.

Dexter vs Sullivan

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Sullivan

Sullivan places higher on 10 of 20 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

118 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Dexter

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