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Tarkio vs Bernie

392 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+90% in Tarkio) and typical home built (15 yrs in Tarkio).

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Tarkio, MOHomes around $127KMissouri · 1,471 people
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Bernie, MOOne of the healthiest townsMissouri · 1,725 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.

TarkioHomes around $127K
Housing$127K typical home53% below the MO typical home Health84% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 64%of MO districts All about Tarkio →
BernieOne of the healthiest towns
Health94% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$115K typical home57% below the MO typical home SafetySafer than 78%of U.S. towns we grade All about Bernie →
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.

Property tax bill+90%
Tax bills are bigger in Tarkio
Tarkio $1,197Bernie $630
Typical home built15 yrs
Tarkio’s homes are older
Bernie 1973Tarkio 1958
Bachelor’s degree++8 pts
More adults in Tarkio have a degree
Tarkio 23.1%Bernie 15.1%
★ What stands out · 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.

Tarkio$810/mo
Typical home $127K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.36% · or rent about $660/mo · Housing →
Bernie$670/mo
Typical home $115K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $768/mo · Housing →

The difference: $140 a month, about $1,700 a year, between Tarkio and Bernie.

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.

Safety
–TarkioNot graded A−BernieSafer than 78% of U.S. towns
Schools
BTarkioBetter than 64% of districts in the state –BernieNot graded
Health
C−TarkioHealthier than 16% of U.S. towns DBernieHealthier than 6% 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
TarkioBernie
Snow a year30″3″
January low14°F28°F
July high87°F91°F
Growing season (days)167d225d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)74th89th
Outdoors & history
TarkioBernie
Settled18801890
National Register places3—
Archive photos—6
Famous people born here—1
Community
TarkioBernie
Library hours a week26 hrs30 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

392 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TarkioMOBernieMO
Tarkio ↔ Bernie392 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.

TarkioBernie
People
Population 1,471Lowest 1,725Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.9%Highest MO: +2.8% -5.1%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 51±5.8Highest 31% above MO 46.7±3.7Lowest 20% above MO
Tarkio and Bernie are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.7%±3.6Lowest MO: 22.3% 19.5%±3.2Highest MO: 22.3%
Bernie and Tarkio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 25.1%±2.5Highest MO: 17.9% 23.9%±4.7Lowest MO: 17.9%
Tarkio and Bernie are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Highest MO: 32.4% 15.1%Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±1.5Highest MO: 5.7% 1.5%±1Lowest MO: 5.7%
Tarkio and Bernie are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,927±$10kHighest 19% below MO $48,438±$8kLowest 31% below MO
Tarkio and Bernie are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $87,800±$6kLowest 62% below MO $98,100±$15kHighest 57% below MO
Bernie and Tarkio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $660±$71Lowest 36% below MO $768±$92Highest 26% below MO
Bernie and Tarkio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,197Highest 39% below MO $630Lowest 68% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.9%±8.5Lowest MO: 45.6% 39.4%±5.9Highest MO: 45.6%
Bernie and Tarkio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.4%Lowest MO: 12.6% 24.1%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 73.4% MO: 68.1% 73.4% MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 20 yrs older than MO 1973Highest 5 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest about the MO average 21 minLowest 10% below MO
Work from home 3.8%±2.6Highest MO: 13% 1.4%±1.3Lowest MO: 13%
Tarkio and Bernie are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 17.4%Highest 10.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 14.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Highest 0.55Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Rock Port (9%)Dexter (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BernieFew work in Tarkio
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 106Lowest 131Highest
Schools
School district TARKIO R-I—
High school in town Tarkio JH and High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 8.8 —
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.

Tarkio neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tarkio’s Town Square.

Bernie neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bernie’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tarkio and Bernie

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

Towns like Tarkio

R
+ Compare
Rock Port1,221 people · $116K homes
+ Compare
Glasgow1,118 people · $123K homes
D
+ Compare
Davis Township1,124 people · $95K homes
+ Compare
Mound City1,066 people · $146K 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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