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Salem Township vs Buffalo Township

Next-door neighbors in Dunklin County. The biggest differences: trails (3× in Buffalo Township) and median age (13 yrs in Salem Township).

S ×
Salem Township, MOOne of the healthiest townsDunklin County · 2,439 people
B ×
Buffalo Township, MOOne of the healthiest townsDunklin County · 1,154 people
Swap order
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.

Salem TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health98% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 15%of MO districts HistorySettled in 184510 archive photos, postcards and papers All about Salem Township →
Buffalo TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health99% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 5%of MO districts All about Buffalo Township →
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.

Trails3×
Buffalo Township has more miles of trail
Buffalo Township 26.8 miSalem Township 8.8 mi
Median age13 yrs
Salem Township skews older
Salem Township 37Buffalo Township 24
Rent+36%
Rent runs higher in Buffalo Township
Buffalo Township $768Salem Township $565
Average commute10 min
Buffalo Township has the shorter commute
Salem Township 27 minBuffalo Township 17 min
Homeowners+15.5 pts renters
Buffalo Township has more renters
Salem Township 64%Buffalo Township 48.5%
Growth since 2010+5.9 pts
Salem Township has grown faster since 2010
Salem Township -15.1%Buffalo Township -21%
★ What stands out · Where they are

Salem Township and Buffalo Township share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Salem TownshipBuffalo TownshipSalem TownshipBuffalo Township
Salem Township ↔ Buffalo Township7.3 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
7 Buffalo Township residents work in Salem Township (1.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Buffalo Township →
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−Salem TownshipBetter than 15% of districts in the state DBuffalo TownshipBetter than 5% of districts in the state
Health
D−Salem TownshipHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns D−Buffalo TownshipHealthier than under 1% 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.

Salem Township$470/mo
Typical home $81K (Census) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $565/mo · Housing →
Buffalo Township$470/mo
Typical home $81K (Census) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $768/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
Salem TownshipBuffalo Township
Snow a year4″4″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st83rd
Outdoors & history
Salem TownshipBuffalo Township
Trails9 mi27 mi
Conserved land3.9%5.5%
Settled18451845
Archive photos10—
Community
Salem TownshipBuffalo Township
Library hours a week20 hrs24 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.

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.

Salem TownshipBuffalo Township
People
Population 2,439Highest 1,154Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -15.1%Highest MO: +2.8% -21%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 37±5.7Highest 5% below MO 24±3.6Lowest 38% below MO
Kids under 18 28.7%±4.7Lowest MO: 22.3% 29.6%±3.9Highest MO: 22.3%
Buffalo Township and Salem Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.2%±3.1Highest MO: 17.9% 11.4%±2.1Lowest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.9%Lowest MO: 32.4% 11.4%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.7Highest MO: 5.7% 0.9%±0.6Lowest MO: 5.7%
Salem Township and Buffalo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $40,352±$9kHighest 43% below MO $24,537±$21kLowest 65% below MO
Salem Township and Buffalo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $80,700±$17kLowest 65% below MO $81,000±$28kHighest 65% below MO
Buffalo Township and Salem Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $565±$117Lowest 45% below MO $768±$26Highest 26% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly $554Lowest 72% below MO $600Highest 69% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.4%±8.4Lowest MO: 45.6% 68.5%±34.2Highest MO: 45.6%
Buffalo Township and Salem Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 23.1%Lowest MO: 12.6% 45.1%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 64%Highest MO: 68.1% 48.5%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973 5 yrs older than MO 1973 5 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 16% above MO 17 minLowest 26% below MO
Work from home 2.2%±1.9Highest MO: 13% 1%±1.4Lowest MO: 13%
Salem Township and Buffalo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 13.2%Highest 9.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 13.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Highest 0.38Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Kennett (12%)Paragould (23%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Buffalo Township2% work in Salem Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.9%Lowest 5.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.8 miLowest 26.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.8Highest 4.5Lowest
Schools
School district SENATH-HORNERSVILLE C-8SOUTHLAND C-9
High school in town Senath-Hornersville High SchooSouthland High
Students per teacherat that high school 12.3Lowest 12.9Highest
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.

Salem Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Salem Township’s Town Square.

Buffalo Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buffalo Township’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Salem Township and Buffalo Township

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Bordering Salem Township

I
+ Compare
Independence Township11,960 people · $114K homes
C
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Clay Township1,101 people · $69K homes
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Arbyrd432 people · $47K homes

Towns like Salem Township

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Campbell1,766 people · $75K homes
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Hanley Hills2,178 people · $73K homes
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Vandalia3,140 people · $85K homes
+ Compare
Bloomfield2,069 people · $67K 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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