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Compare towns

Memphis vs Ironton

215 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+57% in Ironton) and work in town (+21 pts in Memphis).

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Memphis, MOHomes around $116KMissouri · 1,782 people
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Ironton, MOOne of the healthiest townsMissouri · 1,692 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.

MemphisHomes around $116K
Housing$116K typical home57% below the MO typical home Health74% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates HistorySettled in 18431 place on the National Register All about Memphis →
IrontonOne of the healthiest towns
Health89% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$135K typical home50% below the MO typical home SchoolsBetter than 77%of MO districts All about Ironton →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

Rent+57%
Rent runs higher in Ironton
Ironton $738Memphis $471
Work in town+21 pts
More of Memphis’s workers stay in town
Memphis 37.5%Ironton 16.5%
Property tax bill+38%
Tax bills are bigger in Memphis
Memphis $1,000Ironton $726
Average commute7 min
Memphis has the shorter commute
Ironton 23 minMemphis 16 min
Growth since 2010+6 pts
Ironton has grown faster since 2010
Ironton +1%Memphis -5%
Street grid+50%
Memphis has the more walkable street grid
Memphis 107Ironton 71.4
★ What stands out · 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
C+MemphisBetter than 38% of districts in the state A−IrontonBetter than 77% of districts in the state
Health
CMemphisHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns DIrontonHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Memphis$680/mo
Typical home $116K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $471/mo · Housing →
Ironton$770/mo
Typical home $135K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $738/mo · Housing →

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,100 a year, between Ironton and Memphis.

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.

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
MemphisIronton
Snow a year19″9″
January low14°F21°F
July high86°F88°F
Growing season (days)176d174d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th92nd
Outdoors & history
MemphisIronton
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled1843—
National Register places13
Archive photos75
Famous people born here74
Community
MemphisIronton
Library hours a week44 hrs50 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

215 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MemphisMOIrontonMO
Memphis ↔ Ironton215 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.

MemphisIronton
People
Population 1,782Highest 1,692Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5%Lowest MO: +2.8% +1%Highest MO: +2.8%
Median age 37.8±5.9Highest 3% below MO 36.3±2.7Lowest 7% below MO
Memphis and Ironton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24%±4.8Lowest MO: 22.3% 28.8%±3.5Highest MO: 22.3%
Ironton and Memphis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.7%±3.9Highest MO: 17.9% 17.8%±2.7Lowest MO: 17.9%
Memphis and Ironton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.3%Lowest MO: 32.4% 28.4%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±1.7Lowest MO: 5.7% 5.1%±2.5Highest MO: 5.7%
Ironton and Memphis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $55,125±$10kHighest 22% below MO $46,750±$6kLowest 34% below MO
Memphis and Ironton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $132,800±$12kHighest 42% below MO $120,000±$8kLowest 48% below MO
Memphis and Ironton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $471±$107Lowest 54% below MO $738±$144Highest 29% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,000Highest 49% below MO $726Lowest 63% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 27.6%±12.3Lowest MO: 45.6% 47.7%±16.6Highest MO: 45.6%
Ironton and Memphis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 12.2%Lowest MO: 12.6% 14.5%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.8%Lowest MO: 68.1% 74.2%Highest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 9 yrs older than MO 1965Lowest 13 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 32% below MO 23 minHighest about the MO average
Work from home 9.9%±5.6Highest MO: 13% 9%±6.1Lowest MO: 13%
Memphis and Ironton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 37.5%Highest 16.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miLowest 23.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.04Lowest 1.36Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Kirksville (5%)Farmington (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IrontonFew work in Memphis
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Highest 71.4Lowest
Schools
School district SCOTLAND CO. R-IARCADIA VALLEY R-II
High school in town Scotland Co. HighArcadia Valley High
Students per teacherat that high school 9.7Lowest 14.3Highest
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.

Memphis neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Memphis’s Town Square.

Ironton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ironton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Memphis

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Calverton Park1,546 people · $128K 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.

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