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%

Higginsville$1,330/mo

Typical home $227K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.76% · or rent about $980/mo · Housing →

Macon$1,090/mo

Typical home $187K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $680/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $3,000 a year, between Higginsville and Macon.

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

Higginsville places higher on 12 of 23 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

–HigginsvilleNot graded B−MaconSafer than 50% of U.S. towns

Schools

BHigginsvilleBetter than 59% of districts in the state B+MaconBetter than 67% of districts in the state

Health

B−HigginsvilleHealthier than 53% of U.S. towns CMaconHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns

12Higginsville

10Macon

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #6#170 Most-used librariesLibraries · 50 towns #36#4 Cheapest rentCost of living · 256 towns #142#26 Most library borrowingLibraries · 50 towns #40#18 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #22#125 Best schoolsSchools · 226 towns #168#73 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #159#253 Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #141#86

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

HigginsvilleMacon

Snow a year14″15″

January low18°F 19°F

July high87°F 87°F

Growing season (days)195d 195d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)19th 46th

Outdoors & history

HigginsvilleMacon

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land7.2%2%

Settled1869 1856

National Register places4 3

Archive photos—10

Community

HigginsvilleMacon

Library hours a week33 hrs 44 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

82 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HigginsvilleMO MaconMO

Higginsville ↔ Macon82 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

HigginsvilleMacon

People

Population 4,781Lowest 5,466Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.4%Highest MO: +2.8% -0.3%Lowest MO: +2.8%

Median age 44.6±6.4Lowest 14% above MO 46.1±4.3Highest 18% above MO

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

Kids under 18 12.6%±3.3Lowest MO: 22.3% 21.1%±3.6Highest MO: 22.3%

Age 65+ 25.2%±5.1Highest MO: 17.9% 23.5%±3.5Lowest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.9%Highest MO: 32.4% 22.4%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.7%±1.7Highest MO: 5.7% 2.5%±1.4Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $81,033±$16kHighest 15% above MO $61,642±$7kLowest 13% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $166,100±$19kHighest 28% below MO $151,800±$15kLowest 34% below MO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $980±$99Highest 5% below MO $680±$59Lowest 34% below MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,270Highest 35% below MO $1,024Lowest 47% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.1%±15.8Lowest MO: 45.6% 50.7%±12.3Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 6.8%Lowest MO: 12.6% 10.5%Highest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74.5%Highest MO: 68.1% 65.9%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970 8 yrs older than MO 1970 8 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 16% below MO 18 minLowest 23% below MO

Work from home 2.9%±1.9Lowest MO: 13% 4.7%±2.7Highest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 20.5%Lowest 42.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 17.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.99Lowest 1.72Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Kansas City (12%)Moberly (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MaconFew work in Higginsville

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7.2%Highest 2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 8Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 72.5Highest 59.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #168 of 226 in MO #73 of 226 in MO

School district LAFAYETTE CO. C-1MACON CO. R-I

High school in town Lafayette Co. HighMacon Senior High

Students per teacherat that high school 12.5Lowest 13.4Highest

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.

Higginsville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Higginsville’s Town Square.

Macon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Macon’s Town Square.

Add a town

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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.

Higginsville vs Macon

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Higginsville

Higginsville places higher on 12 of 23 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

82 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Higginsville and Macon

Towns like Higginsville

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