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%

Independence Township$670/mo

Typical home $114K (Census) · tax rate 0.76% · or rent about $639/mo · Housing →

Kennett$680/mo

Typical home $115K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.77% · or rent about $651/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

Kennett places higher on 8 of 19 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

–Independence TownshipNot graded DKennettSafer than 8% of U.S. towns

Schools

C−Independence TownshipBetter than 20% of districts in the state –KennettNot graded

Health

D−Independence TownshipHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns D−KennettHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns

7Independence Township

8Kennett

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #250#45 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #91#163 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #130#87 Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #211#189 Highest incomeIncome · 261 towns #159#179 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #237#217 Cheapest rentCost of living · 256 towns #10#16 Most educatedPeople · 261 towns #195#199

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

Independence TownshipKennett

Snow a year3″3″

January low30°F 30°F

July high90°F 90°F

Growing season (days)240d 240d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)84th 84th

Outdoors & history

Independence TownshipKennett

Trails63 mi 4 mi

Conserved land2.6%1.4%

National Register places—2

Archive photos6 —

Community

Independence TownshipKennett

Library hours a week48 hrs 48 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

1 miles apart

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

Independence TownshipKennett

Independence Township ↔ Kennett0.5 miles apart

Who commutes between them

1,503 Independence Township residents work in Kennett (36% of its workers)

Work & commute in Independence Township →

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

Independence TownshipKennett

People

Population 11,960Highest 10,196Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.6%Lowest MO: +2.8% -3.8%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 41.8±2.4Highest 7% above MO 41.4±2.2Lowest 6% above MO

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

Kids under 18 24.7%±3.1Lowest MO: 22.3% 26.2%±3.5Highest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 20.2%±2.4Lowest MO: 17.9% 20.9%±2.7Highest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.2%Highest MO: 32.4% 15.6%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±0.8Highest MO: 5.7% 1.7%±0.7Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $55,521±$8kHighest 21% below MO $52,500±$14kLowest 26% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $114,400±$13kHighest 50% below MO $112,000±$16kLowest 51% below MO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $639±$99Lowest 38% below MO $651±$123Highest 37% below MO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $867Highest 55% below MO $863Lowest 56% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.5%±9 MO: 45.6% 29.5%±9.2 MO: 45.6%

Below poverty line 18.4%Lowest MO: 12.6% 19.1%Highest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.3%Highest MO: 68.1% 57.9%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 8 yrs older than MO 1969Lowest 9 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 7% below MO 20 minLowest 15% below MO

Work from home 3.4%±1.7Lowest MO: 13% 3.5%±1.9Highest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 36.7%Lowest 38.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.96Lowest 1.09Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Kennett (36%)Senath (3%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 36% work in KennettFew work in Independence Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Highest 1.4%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 62.7 miHighest 4.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 mi 0.6 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 5Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 8.4Lowest 98.2Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #176 of 226 in MO—

School district KENNETT 39—

High school in town Kennett High—

Students per teacherat that high school 14.7 —

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.

Independence Township neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 3d

Feeling at Home in Independence

1 neighbor in Independence Township can answer.

Kennett neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kennett’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Independence Township and Kennett

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Independence Township

+ Compare

Salem Township2,439 people · $81K homes

+ Compare

Clay Township1,101 people · $69K homes

+ Compare

Holcomb Township1,213 people · $106K homes

+ Compare

Freeborn Township1,447 people · $54K homes

Towns like Independence Township

+ Compare

Bellefontaine Neighbors10,498 people · $100K homes

+ Compare

Center Township9,372 people · $149K homes

+ Compare

Moberly13,526 people · $153K homes

+ Compare

Chillicothe Township9,142 people · $138K 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.

Independence Township vs Kennett

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Kennett places higher on 8 of 19 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

1 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Feeling at Home in Independence

Set another town beside Independence Township and Kennett

Bordering Independence Township

Towns like Independence Township

Post to Independence Township

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