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%

Tipton$1,100/mo

Typical home $190K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.70% · or rent about $785/mo · Housing →

Vandalia$860/mo

Typical home $144K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $814/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $3,000 a year, between Tipton and Vandalia.

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

Vandalia places higher on 11 of 18 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.

Schools

C−TiptonBetter than 18% of districts in the state CVandaliaBetter than 25% of districts in the state

Health

C−TiptonHealthier than 17% of U.S. towns C−VandaliaHealthier than 18% of U.S. towns

7Tipton

11Vandalia

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #51#261 Most remote workersWork · 255 towns #108#252 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #171#239 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #102#36 Most conserved landOutdoors · 235 towns #107#161 Most affordableCost of living · 260 towns #65#11 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 261 towns #179#131 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #221#179

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

TiptonVandalia

Snow a year10″16″

January low20°F 19°F

July high88°F 86°F

Growing season (days)195d 188d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th 47th

Outdoors & history

TiptonVandalia

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land2.3%1.5%

Settled—1874

National Register places2 1

Archive photos—12

Famous people born here5 1

Community

TiptonVandalia

Library hours a week32 hrs 44 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

83 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TiptonMO VandaliaMO

Tipton ↔ Vandalia83 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

TiptonVandalia

People

Population 2,667Lowest 3,140Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10.5%Lowest MO: +2.8% -8.9%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 39.6±4.4Lowest about the MO average 40.2±2.2Highest 3% above MO

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

Kids under 18 19.4%±4Highest MO: 22.3% 13.6%±2.9Lowest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 15.6%±4.1Highest MO: 17.9% 14.9%±3.5Lowest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7%Lowest MO: 32.4% 7.9%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.1%±2Highest MO: 5.7% 3.3%±2Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $49,257±$6kLowest 30% below MO $50,313±$19kHighest 29% below MO

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $130,200±$17kHighest 43% below MO $84,500±$10kLowest 63% below MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $785±$79Lowest 24% below MO $814±$197Highest 21% below MO

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $911Highest 53% below MO $733Lowest 62% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32.8%±17.1Lowest MO: 45.6% 53.5%±21.4Highest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 20.4%Highest MO: 12.6% 13.9%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 70.4%Highest MO: 68.1% 64.8%Lowest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 8 yrs older than MO 1959Lowest 19 yrs older than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 11% below MO 21 minLowest 13% below MO

Work from home 10%±6.9Highest MO: 13% 1.6%±1.7Lowest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.5%Highest 15.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.8 miLowest 33.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.92Highest 0.74Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Jefferson City (15%)Mexico (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in VandaliaFew work in Tipton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.3%Highest 1.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 70.9Lowest 108Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #197 of 226 in MO—

School district TIPTON R-VIDEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

High school in town Tipton HighWomen's East Region Trtmt CTR

Students per teacherat that high school 12.2 —

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.

Tipton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tipton’s Town Square.

Vandalia neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vandalia’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tipton and Vandalia

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

Towns like Tipton

+ Compare

Seneca1,906 people · $133K homes

+ Compare

Cassville3,202 people · $155K homes

+ Compare

Osage Township2,047 people · $97K homes

+ Compare

Sparta2,331 people · $182K 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.

Tipton vs Vandalia

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Tipton

Vandalia places higher on 11 of 18 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

83 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Tipton and Vandalia

Towns like Tipton

Post to Tipton

Check your email