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%

Vandalia$860/mo

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

Tipton$1,100/mo

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

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

Health

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

11Vandalia

7Tipton

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

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

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

VandaliaTipton

Snow a year16″10″

January low19°F 20°F

July high86°F 88°F

Growing season (days)188d 195d

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

Outdoors & history

VandaliaTipton

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.5%2.3%

Settled1874 —

National Register places1 2

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here1 5

Community

VandaliaTipton

Library hours a week44 hrs 32 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.

VandaliaMO TiptonMO

Vandalia ↔ Tipton83 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

VandaliaTipton

People

Population 3,140Highest 2,667Lowest

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

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

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

Kids under 18 13.6%±2.9Lowest MO: 22.3% 19.4%±4Highest 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+ 14.9%±3.5Lowest MO: 17.9% 15.6%±4.1Highest 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+ 7.9%Highest MO: 32.4% 7%Lowest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±2Lowest MO: 5.7% 4.1%±2Highest 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 $50,313±$19kHighest 29% below MO $49,257±$6kLowest 30% 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 $84,500±$10kLowest 63% below MO $130,200±$17kHighest 43% below MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $814±$197Highest 21% below MO $785±$79Lowest 24% 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 $733Lowest 62% below MO $911Highest 53% below MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.5%±21.4Highest MO: 45.6% 32.8%±17.1Lowest 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 13.9%Lowest MO: 12.6% 20.4%Highest MO: 12.6%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 1.6%±1.7Lowest MO: 13% 10%±6.9Highest 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 15.5%Lowest 16.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 33.3 miHighest 28.8 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TiptonFew work in Vandalia

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Lowest 2.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

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

Schools

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

School district DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONSTIPTON R-VI

High school in town Women's East Region Trtmt CTRTipton High

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.

Vandalia neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vandalia’s Town Square.

Tipton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tipton’s Town Square.

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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.

Vandalia vs Tipton

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 Vandalia and Tipton

Towns like Vandalia

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