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%

Salem Township$470/mo

Typical home $81K (Census) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $565/mo · Housing →

Clay Township$410/mo

Typical home $69K (Census) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $406/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Salem Township and Clay 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.

Where they are

Salem Township and Clay Township share a border

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

Salem TownshipClay Township

Salem Township ↔ Clay Township7.2 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

Who commutes between them

19 Salem Township residents work in Clay Township (2.2% of its workers)

Work & commute in Salem 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 C−Clay TownshipBetter than 20% of districts in the state

Health

D−Salem TownshipHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns D−Clay TownshipHealthier than 4% of U.S. towns

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 TownshipClay Township

Snow a year4″4″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st 84th

Outdoors & history

Salem TownshipClay Township

Trails9 mi 248 mi

Conserved land3.9%5.8%

Settled1845 —

Archive photos10 —

Community

Salem TownshipClay Township

Library hours a week20 hrs 12 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

Only big differences vs Missouri average

Salem TownshipClay Township

People

Population 2,439Highest 1,101Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -15.1%Lowest MO: +2.8% -14.6%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 37±5.7Lowest 5% below MO 47.4±5.6Highest 22% above MO

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

Kids under 18 28.7%±4.7Highest MO: 22.3% 21.6%±4.2Lowest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 17.2%±3.1Lowest MO: 17.9% 24%±5.4Highest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.9%Lowest MO: 32.4% 14.1%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.7Highest MO: 5.7% 0.3%±1.2Lowest MO: 5.7%

Salem Township and Clay 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±$9kLowest 43% below MO $50,000±$28kHighest 29% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $80,700±$17kHighest 65% below MO $69,300±$33kLowest 70% below MO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $565±$117Highest 45% below MO $406±$206Lowest 61% below MO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $554Lowest 72% below MO $585Highest 70% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.4%±8.4Lowest MO: 45.6% 72.1%±67.2Highest MO: 45.6%

Clay 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% 27.7%Highest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 64%Lowest MO: 68.1% 80.5%Highest 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 24 minLowest 4% above MO

Work from home 2.2%±1.9Lowest MO: 13% 6.1%±7.3Highest MO: 13%

Clay Township and Salem 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 11.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Highest 0.44Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Kennett (12%)Kennett (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Clay TownshipFew work in Salem Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.9%Lowest 5.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 8.8 miLowest 248.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 2.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.8Highest 2.0Lowest

Schools

School district SENATH-HORNERSVILLE C-8SENATH-HORNERSVILLE C-8

High school in town Senath-Hornersville High SchooNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 12.3 —

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.

Clay Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clay Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Salem Township and Clay Township

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Salem Township

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Independence Township11,960 people · $114K homes

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Buffalo Township1,154 people · $81K 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.

Salem Township vs Clay Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Salem Township and Clay Township share a border

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Salem Township and Clay Township

Bordering Salem Township

Towns like Salem Township

Post to Salem Township

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