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Sheldon vs Fair Play

39 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.5× in Fair Play) and rent (+52% in Fair Play).

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Sheldon, MOHomes around $183KMissouri · 443 people

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Fair Play, MOA regional job hubMissouri · 595 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.

SheldonHomes around $183K

Housing$183K typical home32% below the MO typical home All about Sheldon →

Fair PlayA regional job hub

Work328 jobsbased in Fair Play, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 91%of MO districts All about Fair Play →

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.

Jobs per worker4.5×

Fair Play is more of a job hub

Fair Play 1.74Sheldon 0.39

Rent runs higher in Fair Play

Fair Play $938Sheldon $617

Street grid+64%

Fair Play has the more walkable street grid

Fair Play 147Sheldon 89.8

Property tax bill+17%

Tax bills are bigger in Sheldon

Sheldon $730Fair Play $624

Bachelor’s degree++8.2 pts

More adults in Sheldon have a degree

Sheldon 11%Fair Play 2.8%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Fair Play

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%

Sheldon$1,120/mo

Typical home $183K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.08% · or rent about $617/mo · Housing →

Fair Play$1,570/mo

Typical home $273K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,300 a year, between Fair Play and Sheldon.

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

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

–SheldonNot graded AFair PlayBetter than 91% of districts in the state

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

SheldonFair Play

Snow a year7″7″

January low22°F 23°F

July high88°F 90°F

Growing season (days)199d 207d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 54th

Community

SheldonFair Play

Library hours a week—39 hrs

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

39 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SheldonMO Fair PlayMO

Sheldon ↔ Fair Play39 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

SheldonFair Play

People

Population 443Lowest 595Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -19.9% MO: +2.8% —

Median age 41.1±5.4Highest 5% above MO 40.8±11Lowest 5% above MO

Sheldon and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 28.9%±4.4Highest MO: 22.3% 19.3%±9.4Lowest MO: 22.3%

Sheldon and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 16.5%±5.7Highest MO: 17.9% 10.8%±3.4Lowest MO: 17.9%

Sheldon and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11%Highest MO: 32.4% 2.8%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.2%±4.6Highest MO: 5.7% 3%±2Lowest MO: 5.7%

Sheldon and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $41,848±$9kHighest 41% below MO $40,781±$18kLowest 42% below MO

Sheldon and Fair Play are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $67,500±$23kLowest 71% below MO $105,600±$36kHighest 54% below MO

Fair Play and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $617±$56Lowest 40% below MO $938±$74Highest 9% below MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $730Highest 63% below MO $624Lowest 68% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 27.5%±21.1Lowest MO: 45.6% 54.7%±50.1Highest MO: 45.6%

Fair Play and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 37%Highest MO: 12.6% 23.4%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 43.2%Lowest MO: 68.1% 45.7%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 20 minLowest 13% below MO 24 minHighest about the MO average

Work from home 4.4%±4.8Lowest MO: 13% 6.1%±6.2Highest MO: 13%

Fair Play and Sheldon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0.5%Lowest 2.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 miLowest 31.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.39Lowest 1.74Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Nevada (27%)Bolivar (30%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Fair PlayFew work in Sheldon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 89.8Lowest 147Highest

Schools

School district —FAIR PLAY R-II

High school in town —Fair Play High

Students per teacherat that high school — 7.5

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.

Sheldon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sheldon’s Town Square.

Fair Play neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Fair Play can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sheldon and Fair Play

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

Towns like Sheldon

Marston400 people · $64K homes

Leasburg279 people · $102K homes

Lowry City618 people · $82K homes

Qulin570 people

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Missouri towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.