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Compare towns

Perryville vs Dexter

65 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (12.4× in Perryville) and home values (+31% in Perryville).

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Perryville, MOAn outdoors townMissouri · 8,536 people
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Dexter, MOHomes around $169KMissouri · 7,891 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $380 more a month in Perryville

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.

Perryville$1,400/mo
Typical home $238K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $944/mo · Housing →
Dexter$1,010/mo
Typical home $169K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $765/mo · Housing →

The difference: $380 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Perryville and Dexter.

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

Perryville places higher on 16 of 21 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.

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
PerryvilleDexter
Snow a year5″3″
January low21°F28°F
July high88°F91°F
Growing season (days)182d225d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st83rd
Outdoors & history
PerryvilleDexter
Trails12 mi1 mi
Conserved land8.8%2%
Settled18211873
National Register places51
Archive photos123
Famous people born here58
Community
PerryvilleDexter
Library hours a week49 hrs40 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

65 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Perryville ↔ Dexter65 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.

PerryvilleDexter
People
Population 8,536Highest 7,891Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4%Highest MO: +2.8% +0.8%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 38.6±2.5Highest about the MO average 38.5±4.3Lowest about the MO average
Perryville and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.4%±2.8Lowest MO: 22.3% 24.8%±4.2Highest MO: 22.3%
Dexter and Perryville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16%±2.4Lowest MO: 17.9% 20.9%±3.9Highest MO: 17.9%
Dexter and Perryville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.4%Highest MO: 32.4% 17.7%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±1.4Highest MO: 5.7% 2.9%±1.5Lowest MO: 5.7%
Perryville and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $51,897±$6kHighest 27% below MO $51,701±$5kLowest 27% below MO
Perryville and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $179,700±$11kHighest 22% below MO $137,200±$12kLowest 40% below MO
Rentmedian gross, monthly $944±$39Highest 9% below MO $765±$68Lowest 26% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,355Highest 30% below MO $1,249Lowest 36% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.6%±12.6Highest MO: 45.6% 25.1%±9Lowest MO: 45.6%
Below poverty line 19%Highest MO: 12.6% 17%Lowest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 62.6%Highest MO: 68.1% 60%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 4 yrs older than MO 1971Lowest 7 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 15% below MO 21 minHighest 9% below MO
Work from home 6.5%±2.7Highest MO: 13% 3.8%±2.9Lowest MO: 13%
Perryville and Dexter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 42.7%Highest 33.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miLowest 15.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.55Highest 1.46Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Cape Girardeau (6%)Sikeston (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DexterFew work in Perryville
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 8.8%Highest 2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 12.4 miHighest 1.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.1Lowest 78.7Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #130 of 226 in MO—
School district PERRY CO. 32—
High school in town Perryville SR. High—
Students per teacherat that high school 18.2 —
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.

Perryville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Perryville’s Town Square.

Dexter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dexter’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Perryville

Towns like Perryville

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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