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%

Joplin$1,210/mo

Typical home $207K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $962/mo · Housing →

Duquesne$1,460/mo

Typical home $252K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.65% · or rent about $862/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $3,000 a year, between Duquesne and Joplin.

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.

Where they are

Joplin and Duquesne share a border

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

JoplinDuquesne

Joplin ↔ Duquesne2.5 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

450 Duquesne residents work in Joplin (49.4% of its workers)

321 Joplin residents work in Duquesne (1.5% of its workers)

Work & commute in Duquesne →

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.

Safety

DJoplinSafer than 5% of U.S. towns –DuquesneNot graded

Schools

C−JoplinBetter than 18% of districts in the state C−DuquesneBetter than 18% of districts in the state

Health

C−JoplinHealthier than 16% of U.S. towns CDuquesneHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns

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

JoplinDuquesne

Snow a year8″8″

January low25°F 25°F

July high90°F 90°F

Growing season (days)206d 206d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th 37th

Outdoors & history

JoplinDuquesne

Trails14 mi —

Conserved land2.7%—

Settled1873 —

National Register places30 —

Archive photos12 2

Famous people born here53 —

Community

JoplinDuquesne

Library hours a week61 hrs —

Colleges in town2 —

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.

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

JoplinDuquesne

People

Population 52,593Highest 2,257Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.2%Lowest MO: +2.8% +22.5%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 38.5±1.1Highest about the MO average 34.4±9.7Lowest 12% below MO

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

Kids under 18 20.9%±1.5Highest MO: 22.3% 17.9%±6Lowest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 19.4%±1.4Highest MO: 17.9% 13.2%±2.2Lowest MO: 17.9%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.7%Lowest MO: 32.4% 26.9%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±0.9Highest MO: 5.7% 6.3%±3.3Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,097±$4kLowest 26% below MO $54,135±$14kHighest 23% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $168,300±$7kLowest 27% below MO $184,200±$23kHighest 20% below MO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $962±$28Highest 7% below MO $862±$46Lowest 17% below MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,158Lowest 41% below MO $1,202Highest 38% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.8%±5.1Lowest MO: 45.6% 59.6%±15.2Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 16.9%Highest MO: 12.6% 14.2%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 53.4%Highest MO: 68.1% 51.2%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985Lowest 7 yrs newer than MO 2005Highest 27 yrs newer than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minHighest 23% below MO 14 minLowest 39% below MO

Work from home 10%±2.1Highest MO: 13% 5.1%±3.8Lowest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 50.3%Highest 2.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.3 mi 4.3 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.88Highest 1.41Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Springfield (5%)Joplin (49%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Duquesne49% work in Joplin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.7%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 13.7 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 74.8Highest 73.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #159 of 226 in MO—

School district DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE · JOPLIN SCHOOLSJOPLIN SCHOOLS

High school in town Joplin HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 18.4 —

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.

Joplin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Joplin’s Town Square.

Duquesne neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Duquesne’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Joplin and Duquesne

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Bordering Joplin

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Leawood512 people · $252K homes

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Webb City13,221 people · $169K homes

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Duenweg1,918 people · $129K homes

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Grand Falls Plaza168 people · $250K homes

Towns like Joplin

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St. Joseph71,236 people · $154K homes

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Cape Girardeau40,344 people · $196K homes

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Hazelwood25,114 people · $167K homes

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Grandview26,527 people · $189K 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.

Joplin vs Duquesne

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Duquesne

Joplin and Duquesne share a border

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Joplin and Duquesne

Bordering Joplin

Towns like Joplin

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