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%

Washington$1,800/mo

Typical home $307K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $827/mo · Housing →

Kearney$2,440/mo

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

The difference: $640 a month, about $7,700 a year, between Kearney and Washington.

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 14 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

C+WashingtonSafer than 37% of U.S. towns B+KearneySafer than 66% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+WashingtonBetter than 73% of districts in the state AKearneyBetter than 93% of districts in the state

Health

C+WashingtonHealthier than 45% of U.S. towns A−KearneyHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns

8Washington

14Kearney

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

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 261 towns #6#148 Cheapest rentCost of living · 256 towns #88#211 Highest graduation rateSchools · 216 towns #96#6 Lowest depressionHealth · 261 towns #152#51 Most walkableOutdoors · 261 towns #122#216 Lowest obesityHealth · 261 towns #146#52 SafestSafety · 156 towns #80#27 Fastest growingGrowth · 260 towns #99#14

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

WashingtonKearney

Snow a year8″19″

January low20°F 17°F

July high88°F 88°F

Growing season (days)199d 181d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th 50th

Outdoors & history

WashingtonKearney

Trails2 mi 3 mi

Conserved land2.5%2%

Settled—1856

National Register places42 3

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here13 5

Community

WashingtonKearney

Library hours a week68 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

188 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WashingtonMO KearneyMO

Washington ↔ Kearney188 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

WashingtonKearney

People

Population 15,130Highest 10,885Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.7%Lowest MO: +2.8% +24.1%Highest MO: +2.8%

Median age 43.1±3Highest 11% above MO 39.3±3.1Lowest about the MO average

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

Kids under 18 20.9%±3Lowest MO: 22.3% 23.7%±3.6Highest MO: 22.3%

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

Age 65+ 20.1%±2.6Highest MO: 17.9% 18.1%±2.9Lowest MO: 17.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.3%Lowest MO: 32.4% 36.8%Highest MO: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±1.7Highest MO: 5.7% 3.6%±1.6Lowest MO: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,173±$10kLowest 12% above MO $103,622±$11kHighest 47% above MO

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $231,800±$13kLowest about the MO average $298,400±$20kHighest 30% above MO

Rentmedian gross, monthly $827±$92Lowest 20% below MO $1,251±$185Highest 21% above MO

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,717Lowest 12% below MO $2,940Highest 51% above MO

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.8%±9.2Highest MO: 45.6% 42.4%±15.2Lowest MO: 45.6%

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

Below poverty line 7.9%Highest MO: 12.6% 3.6%Lowest MO: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74%Lowest MO: 68.1% 74.5%Highest MO: 68.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1978Lowest same as MO 2002Highest 24 yrs newer than MO

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 10% below MO 24 minHighest about the MO average

Work from home 12.2%±3.5Lowest MO: 13% 15.2%±3.7Highest MO: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 28.3%Highest 11.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miHighest 18.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.62Highest 0.58Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Union (6%)Kansas City (29%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Highest 2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.8 miLowest 2.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 mi 0.2 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 66.1Highest 35.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #58 of 226 in MO #18 of 226 in MO

School district WASHINGTONKEARNEY R-I

High school in town Washington High SchoolKearney High

Students per teacherat that high school 16.1Highest 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.

Washington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Washington’s Town Square.

Kearney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kearney’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Washington

+ Compare

Gladstone27,207 people · $232K homes

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Arnold20,956 people · $220K homes

+ Compare

Jackson15,659 people · $240K homes

+ Compare

Raymore24,526 people · $339K 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.

Washington vs Kearney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $640 more a month in Kearney

Kearney places higher on 14 of 22 MO lists

What daily life feels like in each

188 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Washington and Kearney

Towns like Washington

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