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%

Kearney$2,440/mo

Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,251/mo · Housing →

Smithville$2,290/mo

Typical home $378K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $1,323/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Kearney and Smithville.

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

Kearney places higher on 15 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+KearneySafer than 66% of U.S. towns B+SmithvilleSafer than 68% of U.S. towns

Schools

AKearneyBetter than 93% of districts in the state ASmithvilleBetter than 91% of districts in the state

Health

A−KearneyHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns B+SmithvilleHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns

15Kearney

6Smithville

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #120#185 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #166#235 Most trailsOutdoors · 151 towns #119#147 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #52#94 Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #51#92 Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #62#44 Most educatedPeople · 261 towns #57#75 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #148#130

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

KearneySmithville

Snow a year19″18″

January low17°F 20°F

July high88°F 88°F

Growing season (days)181d 193d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th 63rd

Outdoors & history

KearneySmithville

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land2%1%

Settled1856 —

National Register places3 2

Archive photos—3

Famous people born here5 1

Community

KearneySmithville

Library hours a week69 hrs 69 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

12 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

KearneySmithville

Kearney ↔ Smithville12 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

KearneySmithville

People

Population 10,885Highest 10,705Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +24.1%Highest MO: +2.8% +23.5%Lowest MO: +2.8%

Median age 39.3±3.1Highest about the MO average 37.4±2.2Lowest 4% below MO

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

Kids under 18 23.7%±3.6Lowest MO: 22.3% 26.3%±3.8Highest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 18.1%±2.9Highest MO: 17.9% 15.4%±2.9Lowest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 36.8%Highest MO: 32.4% 32.4%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±1.6Lowest MO: 5.7% 6.5%±2.4Highest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $103,622±$11kHighest 47% above MO $101,165±$9kLowest 43% above MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $298,400±$20kHighest 30% above MO $290,600±$21kLowest 26% above MO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,251±$185Lowest 21% above MO $1,323±$371Highest 28% above MO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,940Highest 51% above MO $2,850Lowest 46% above MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.4%±15.2Highest MO: 45.6% 31.2%±14.5Lowest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 3.6%Lowest MO: 12.6% 5.4%Highest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74.5%Lowest MO: 68.1% 84.2%Highest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 2002Highest 24 yrs newer than MO 1996Lowest 18 yrs newer than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the MO average 29 minHighest 21% above MO

Work from home 15.2%±3.7Highest MO: 13% 13.5%±4Lowest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 11.2%Highest 9.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miLowest 19.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.58Highest 0.47Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Kansas City (29%)Kansas City (35%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SmithvilleFew work in Kearney

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2%Highest 1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.9 miHighest 1.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 7Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.0Highest 26.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #18 of 226 in MO #33 of 226 in MO

School district KEARNEY R-ISMITHVILLE R-II

High school in town Kearney HighSmithville High

Students per teacherat that high school 14.2Lowest 16.4Highest

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.

Kearney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kearney’s Town Square.

Smithville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smithville’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Kearney and Smithville

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

Bordering Kearney

+ Compare

Mosby52 people

Towns like Kearney

+ Compare

Jackson15,659 people · $240K homes

+ Compare

Washington15,130 people · $232K homes

+ Compare

Carl Junction8,339 people · $218K homes

+ Compare

Pleasant Hill8,847 people · $278K 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.

Kearney vs Smithville

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Kearney places higher on 15 of 22 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

12 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Kearney and Smithville

Bordering Kearney

Towns like Kearney

Post to Kearney

Check your email