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Marston vs Fair Play

232 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (23 min in Fair Play) and street grid (2.4× in Fair Play).

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Marston, MOHomes around $70KMissouri · 400 people
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Fair Play, MOA regional job hubMissouri · 595 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.

MarstonHomes around $70K
Housing$70K typical home74% below the MO typical home Work546 jobsbased in Marston, a regional job hub All about Marston →
Fair PlayA regional job hub
Work328 jobsbased in Fair Play, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 91%of MO districts All about Fair Play →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Average commute23 min
Fair Play has the shorter commute
Marston 47 minFair Play 24 min
Street grid2.4×
Fair Play has the more walkable street grid
Fair Play 147Marston 60.2
Jobs per worker2.8×
Marston is more of a job hub
Marston 4.79Fair Play 1.74
Rent+38%
Rent runs higher in Fair Play
Fair Play $938Marston $682
Property tax bill+34%
Tax bills are bigger in Fair Play
Fair Play $624Marston $465
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,160 more a month in Fair Play

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.

Marston$410/mo
Typical home $70K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $682/mo · Housing →
Fair Play$1,570/mo
Typical home $273K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,160 a month, about $13,900 a year, between Fair Play and Marston.

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

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.

Schools
–MarstonNot graded AFair PlayBetter than 91% of districts in the state
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
MarstonFair Play
Snow a year7″7″
January low28°F23°F
July high88°F90°F
Growing season (days)227d207d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)93rd54th
Community
MarstonFair Play
Library hours a week—39 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

232 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MarstonMOFair PlayMO
Marston ↔ Fair Play232 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.

MarstonFair Play
People
Population 400Lowest 595Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -21.1% MO: +2.8% —
Median age 38.2±18.4Lowest about the MO average 40.8±11Highest 5% above MO
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.8%±7.3Highest MO: 22.3% 19.3%±9.4Lowest MO: 22.3%
Marston and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 9.5%±9.2Lowest MO: 17.9% 10.8%±3.4Highest MO: 17.9%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 2.9%Highest MO: 32.4% 2.8%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±4.2Lowest MO: 5.7% 3%±2Highest MO: 5.7%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $35,000±$11kLowest 50% below MO $40,781±$18kHighest 42% below MO
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $64,300±$18kLowest 72% below MO $105,600±$36kHighest 54% below MO
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $682±$31Lowest 34% below MO $938±$74Highest 9% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $465Lowest 76% below MO $624Highest 68% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.5%±58.4Lowest MO: 45.6% 54.7%±50.1Highest MO: 45.6%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 32.5%Highest MO: 12.6% 23.4%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 41.5%Lowest MO: 68.1% 45.7%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 1 yr newer than MO 1970Lowest 8 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 47 minHighest 101% above MO 24 minLowest about the MO average
Work from home 0%±7.9Lowest MO: 13% 6.1%±6.2Highest MO: 13%
Fair Play and Marston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.5%Highest 2.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 miLowest 31.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 4.79Highest 1.74Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town New Madrid (13%)Bolivar (30%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Fair PlayFew work in Marston
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.2Lowest 147Highest
Schools
School district —FAIR PLAY R-II
High school in town —Fair Play High
Students per teacherat that high school — 7.5
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.

Marston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Marston’s Town Square.

Fair Play neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Weekend Plans Ahead

1 neighbor in Fair Play can answer.

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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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