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%

Moberly$960/mo

Typical home $162K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $774/mo · Housing →

Independence Township$670/mo

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

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,400 a year, between Moberly and Independence Township.

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

Moberly places higher on 11 of 20 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.

Schools

C+MoberlyBetter than 38% of districts in the state C−Independence TownshipBetter than 20% of districts in the state

Health

DMoberlyHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns D−Independence TownshipHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns

11Moberly

7Independence Township

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 85 towns #64#10 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #219#91 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #146#248 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #164#250 Most activeHealth · 261 towns #171#246 Highest incomeIncome · 261 towns #229#159 Most affordableCost of living · 260 towns #96#36 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #179#237

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

MoberlyIndependence Township

Snow a year15″3″

January low19°F 30°F

July high87°F 90°F

Growing season (days)195d 240d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th 84th

Outdoors & history

MoberlyIndependence Township

Trails9 mi 63 mi

Conserved land0.3%2.6%

Settled1866 —

National Register places5 —

Archive photos—6

Community

MoberlyIndependence Township

Library hours a week58 hrs 48 hrs

Colleges in town2 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

256 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MoberlyMO Independence TownshipDunklin County

Moberly ↔ Independence Township256 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

MoberlyIndependence Township

People

Population 13,526Highest 11,960Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.4%Highest MO: +2.8% -5.6%Lowest MO: +2.8%

Median age 39.4±1.6Lowest about the MO average 41.8±2.4Highest 7% above MO

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

Kids under 18 21.3%±2.6Lowest MO: 22.3% 24.7%±3.1Highest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 17%±2.2Lowest MO: 17.9% 20.2%±2.4Highest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.3%Highest MO: 32.4% 16.2%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±1Highest MO: 5.7% 2.4%±0.8Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $44,145±$5kLowest 38% below MO $55,521±$8kHighest 21% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $153,100±$19kHighest 34% below MO $114,400±$13kLowest 50% below MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $774±$68Highest 25% below MO $639±$99Lowest 38% below MO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,238Highest 36% below MO $867Lowest 55% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48%±11.8Highest MO: 45.6% 29.5%±9Lowest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 18.4% MO: 12.6% 18.4% MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.7%Lowest MO: 68.1% 61.3%Highest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 13 yrs older than MO 1970Highest 8 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 19% below MO 22 minHighest 7% below MO

Work from home 5.5%±2.5Highest MO: 13% 3.4%±1.7Lowest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 38.8%Highest 36.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 27.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.33Highest 0.96Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Columbia (17%)Kennett (36%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Independence TownshipFew work in Moberly

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.3%Lowest 2.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 9.3 miLowest 62.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 16Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 54.6Highest 8.4Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #191 of 226 in MO #176 of 226 in MO

School district MOBERLYKENNETT 39

High school in town Moberly SR. HighKennett High

Students per teacherat that high school 15.1Highest 14.7Lowest

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.

Moberly neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moberly’s Town Square.

Independence Township neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 3d

Feeling at Home in Independence

1 neighbor in Independence Township can answer.

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Towns like Moberly

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Mexico11,477 people · $140K homes

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Hannibal16,771 people · $128K homes

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Kennett10,196 people · $112K homes

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Lebanon15,270 people · $159K 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.

Moberly vs Independence Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Moberly

Moberly places higher on 11 of 20 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

256 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Feeling at Home in Independence

Set another town beside Moberly and Independence Township

Towns like Moberly

Post to Moberly

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