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%

Smithville$2,290/mo

Typical home $378K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $1,323/mo · Housing →

Kearney$2,440/mo

Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,251/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Kearney and Smithville.

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

Kearney places higher on 15 of 22 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.

Safety

B+SmithvilleSafer than 68% of U.S. towns B+KearneySafer than 66% of U.S. towns

Schools

ASmithvilleBetter than 91% of districts in the state AKearneyBetter than 93% of districts in the state

Health

B+SmithvilleHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns A−KearneyHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns

6Smithville

15Kearney

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #185#120 Shortest commuteGetting around · 261 towns #235#166 Most trailsOutdoors · 151 towns #147#119 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #94#52 Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #92#51 Most new homesHousing · 200 towns #44#62 Most educatedPeople · 261 towns #75#57 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #130#148

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

SmithvilleKearney

Snow a year18″19″

January low20°F 17°F

July high88°F 88°F

Growing season (days)193d 181d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)63rd 50th

Outdoors & history

SmithvilleKearney

Trails1 mi 3 mi

Conserved land1%2%

Settled—1856

National Register places2 3

Archive photos3 —

Famous people born here1 5

Community

SmithvilleKearney

Library hours a week69 hrs 69 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.

Where they are

12 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SmithvilleKearney

Smithville ↔ Kearney12 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

SmithvilleKearney

People

Population 10,705Lowest 10,885Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +23.5%Lowest MO: +2.8% +24.1%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 37.4±2.2Lowest 4% below MO 39.3±3.1Highest about the MO average

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

Kids under 18 26.3%±3.8Highest MO: 22.3% 23.7%±3.6Lowest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 15.4%±2.9Lowest MO: 17.9% 18.1%±2.9Highest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.4%Lowest MO: 32.4% 36.8%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.5%±2.4Highest MO: 5.7% 3.6%±1.6Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $101,165±$9kLowest 43% above MO $103,622±$11kHighest 47% above MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $290,600±$21kLowest 26% above MO $298,400±$20kHighest 30% above MO

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,323±$371Highest 28% above MO $1,251±$185Lowest 21% above MO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,850Lowest 46% above MO $2,940Highest 51% above MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.2%±14.5Lowest MO: 45.6% 42.4%±15.2Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 5.4%Highest MO: 12.6% 3.6%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Highest MO: 68.1% 74.5%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1996Lowest 18 yrs newer than MO 2002Highest 24 yrs newer than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 21% above MO 24 minLowest about the MO average

Work from home 13.5%±4Lowest MO: 13% 15.2%±3.7Highest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 9.5%Lowest 11.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miHighest 18.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.47Lowest 0.58Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Kansas City (35%)Kansas City (29%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in KearneyFew work in Smithville

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miLowest 2.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 26.6Lowest 35.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #33 of 226 in MO #18 of 226 in MO

School district SMITHVILLE R-IIKEARNEY R-I

High school in town Smithville HighKearney High

Students per teacherat that high school 16.4Highest 14.2Lowest

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.

Smithville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smithville’s Town Square.

Kearney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kearney’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Smithville

+ Compare

Greenwood6,013 people · $286K homes

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Carl Junction8,339 people · $218K homes

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Arnold20,956 people · $220K homes

+ Compare

Jackson15,659 people · $240K 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.

Smithville vs Kearney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Kearney places higher on 15 of 22 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

12 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Smithville and Kearney

Towns like Smithville

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