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Festus vs Grain Valley

213 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.1× in Grain Valley) and trails (4.5× in Grain Valley).

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Festus, MOKnown for its schoolsMissouri · 13,201 people
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Grain Valley, MOKnown for its schoolsMissouri · 16,271 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.

FestusKnown for its schools
Schools#15 for schools in MOof 226 towns Housing$306K typical home14% above the MO typical home Outdoors#36 most conserved land in MO0.2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Festus →
Grain ValleyKnown for its schools
Schools#67 for schools in MOof 226 towns Housing$329K typical home23% above the MO typical home Outdoors#82 most walkable in MO0.9 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves All about Grain Valley →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2.1×
Tax bills are bigger in Grain Valley
Grain Valley $3,182Festus $1,520
Trails4.5×
Grain Valley has more miles of trail
Grain Valley 0.9 miFestus 0.2 mi
Rent+52%
Rent runs higher in Grain Valley
Grain Valley $1,398Festus $922
Growth since 2010+12.1 pts
Grain Valley has grown faster since 2010
Grain Valley +21.6%Festus +9.5%
Work from home+9.5 pts
More people work from home in Grain Valley
Grain Valley 18%Festus 8.5%
Home values+27%
Homes cost more in Grain Valley
Grain Valley $283,800Festus $223,600
★ What stands out · Report cards

Grain Valley places higher on 11 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
B−FestusSafer than 54% of U.S. towns B−Grain ValleySafer than 54% of U.S. towns
Schools
AFestusBetter than 90% of districts in the state AGrain ValleyBetter than 86% of districts in the state
Health
CFestusHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns BGrain ValleyHealthier than 56% of U.S. towns
10Festus
11Grain Valley

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

Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #203#48 Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #92#240 Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #96#6 Cheapest rentCost of living · 256 towns #122#228 Most remote workersWork · 255 towns #131#41 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #36#114 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #25#111 Lowest property taxCost of living · 259 towns #136#213

Left end = #1 in Missouri. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Festus’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Grain Valley

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.

Festus$1,780/mo
Typical home $306K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $922/mo · Housing →
Grain Valley$2,030/mo
Typical home $329K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.12% · or rent about $1,398/mo · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Grain Valley and Festus.

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.

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
FestusGrain Valley
Snow a year9″9″
January low22°F—
July high88°F—
Growing season (days)197d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)63rd49th
Outdoors & history
FestusGrain Valley
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land5.3%2.1%
Settled18871878
Archive photos—3
Famous people born here—1
Community
FestusGrain Valley
Library hours a week53 hrs61 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.

Where they are

213 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FestusMOGrain ValleyMO
Festus ↔ Grain Valley213 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.

FestusGrain Valley
People
Population 13,201Lowest 16,271Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.5%Lowest MO: +2.8% +21.6%Highest MO: +2.8%
Median age 36.7±1.7Highest 6% below MO 35.2±2.6Lowest 10% below MO
Festus and Grain Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.8%±4.4Lowest MO: 22.3% 29.9%±4.1Highest MO: 22.3%
Grain Valley and Festus are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.8%±2.7Highest MO: 17.9% 11.4%±1.8Lowest MO: 17.9%
Festus and Grain Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.4%Lowest MO: 32.4% 27.4%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±2.2Highest MO: 5.7% 2.6%±0.9Lowest MO: 5.7%
Festus and Grain Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,532±$8kLowest 4% above MO $89,649±$8kHighest 27% above MO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $223,600±$13kLowest about the MO average $283,800±$13kHighest 23% above MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $922±$36Lowest 11% below MO $1,398±$88Highest 35% above MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,520Lowest 22% below MO $3,182Highest 63% above MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.6%±9.4Lowest MO: 45.6% 37.7%±9.8Highest MO: 45.6%
Grain Valley and Festus are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.1%Highest MO: 12.6% 9.7%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 57.8%Lowest MO: 68.1% 65%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 5 yrs newer than MO 2002Highest 24 yrs newer than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 12% above MO 26 minLowest 10% above MO
Work from home 8.5%±2.4Lowest MO: 13% 18%±4.9Highest MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents 9%Highest 6.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.72Highest 0.42Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town St. Louis (12%)Kansas City (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Grain ValleyFew work in Festus
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.3%Highest 2.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 92.2Highest 78.7Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #15 of 226 in MO#67 of 226 in MO
School district FESTUS R-VIGRAIN VALLEY R-V
High school in town Festus SR. HighGrain Valley High
Students per teacherat that high school 18.0Highest 17.0Lowest
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.

Festus neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Festus’s Town Square.

Grain Valley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Grain Valley’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Festus

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Crystal City4,718 people · $186K homes
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Herculaneum5,071 people · $234K homes

Towns like Festus

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Bolivar11,170 people · $202K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Missouri towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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