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Fair Play vs Marston

232 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (23 min in Fair Play) and street grid (2.4× in Fair Play).

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Fair Play, MOA regional job hubMissouri · 595 people
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Marston, MOHomes around $70KMissouri · 400 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.

Fair PlayA regional job hub
Work328 jobsbased in Fair Play, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 91%of MO districts All about Fair Play →
MarstonHomes around $70K
Housing$70K typical home74% below the MO typical home Work546 jobsbased in Marston, a regional job hub All about Marston →
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.

Average commute23 min
Fair Play has the shorter commute
Marston 47 minFair Play 24 min
Street grid2.4×
Fair Play has the more walkable street grid
Fair Play 147Marston 60.2
Jobs per worker2.8×
Marston is more of a job hub
Marston 4.79Fair Play 1.74
Rent+38%
Rent runs higher in Fair Play
Fair Play $938Marston $682
Property tax bill+34%
Tax bills are bigger in Fair Play
Fair Play $624Marston $465
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,160 more a month in Fair Play

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.

Fair Play$1,570/mo
Typical home $273K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →
Marston$410/mo
Typical home $70K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $682/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,160 a month, about $13,900 a year, between Fair Play and Marston.

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

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.

Schools
AFair PlayBetter than 91% of districts in the state –MarstonNot graded
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
Fair PlayMarston
Snow a year7″7″
January low23°F28°F
July high90°F88°F
Growing season (days)207d227d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th93rd
Community
Fair PlayMarston
Library hours a week39 hrs—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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

232 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Fair PlayMOMarstonMO
Fair Play ↔ Marston232 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.

Fair PlayMarston
People
Population 595Highest 400Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -21.1% MO: +2.8%
Median age 40.8±11Highest 5% above MO 38.2±18.4Lowest about the MO average
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.3%±9.4Lowest MO: 22.3% 25.8%±7.3Highest MO: 22.3%
Marston and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10.8%±3.4Highest MO: 17.9% 9.5%±9.2Lowest MO: 17.9%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 2.8%Lowest MO: 32.4% 2.9%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±2Highest MO: 5.7% 0%±4.2Lowest MO: 5.7%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $40,781±$18kHighest 42% below MO $35,000±$11kLowest 50% below MO
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $105,600±$36kHighest 54% below MO $64,300±$18kLowest 72% below MO
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $938±$74Highest 9% below MO $682±$31Lowest 34% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $624Highest 68% below MO $465Lowest 76% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.7%±50.1Highest MO: 45.6% 46.5%±58.4Lowest MO: 45.6%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 23.4%Lowest MO: 12.6% 32.5%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 45.7%Highest MO: 68.1% 41.5%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1970Lowest 8 yrs older than MO 1979Highest 1 yr newer than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the MO average 47 minHighest 101% above MO
Work from home 6.1%±6.2Highest MO: 13% 0%±7.9Lowest MO: 13%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2.1%Lowest 3.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.3 miHighest 25.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.74Lowest 4.79Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Bolivar (30%)New Madrid (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MarstonFew work in Fair Play
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 147Highest 60.2Lowest
Schools
School district FAIR PLAY R-II—
High school in town Fair Play High—
Students per teacherat that high school 7.5 —
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.

Fair Play neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Weekend Plans Ahead

1 neighbor in Fair Play can answer.

Marston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Marston’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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