1942 · Chaffee, Missouri. Father and children leaving doctor's office · Library of Congress
Chaffee’s story
Chaffee in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
ChaffeeMO
A town of 3,026. A typical home worth about $148K.
Population
3,026
+3.5% since 2010
Typical home
$148K
−4.1% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
466
A commuter town
What makes Chaffee stand out
The 3 things Chaffee does most differently from other towns.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Chaffee for work
Where Chaffee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
466jobs based in Chaffee
9%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Chaffee’s report card
Now in Chaffee
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Chaffee is #249 of 256 in MO for “Closest to a top hospital”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Chaffee’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →66°
Clear
H 0° · L 57°
Local news
All →- Main Street Smok’In on the Rails gets cooking Aug. 21-22KFVS12 · Aug 20
- 13-year-old history buff finds possible Civil War artifacts in his backyardKFVS12 · Jul 9
- Chaffee, Mo. teen arrested on gun charge during Carbondale traffic stopKFVS12 · Jul 6
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chaffee. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Chaffee home is worth about $148K
The typical Chaffee home is worth about $148,000, down 4.1% in a year, 45% below the Missouri typical home.
$148KZillow home value
Typical home value
Chaffee$148K
Missouri$268K
−4.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Chaffee
Most working residents leave Chaffee for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Cape Girardeau (33%), Sikeston (8%) and Jackson (5%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
9%work in town
Where working residents work
In Chaffee9%
Cape Girardeau33%
Sikeston8%
Jackson5%
Scott City3%
11 mi
median commute distance
466
jobs based in Chaffee
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 35% of U.S. towns
Chaffee beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Chaffee | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.8% | 15.8% |
Saint Francis Medical Center
9.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
65th
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Chaffee’s public schools outperform 22% of Missouri districts
The public schools Chaffee’s kids attend trail 78% of Missouri’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaffee Elem. | PK–6 | 293 | C |
| St. Ambrose School Private | PK–8 | 84 | |
| Chaffee JR.-SR. High | 7–12 | 269 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state testsAll 3 schools →
Natural hazards
High risk, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 1993
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
Chaffee has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–46°
Spring47–69°
Summer67–88°
Fall47–70°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Crime reported in Chaffee
Chaffee's reported crime rate is below Missouri's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 5 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Chaffee1.7
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Chaffee10.6
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
32
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
About Chaffee
City in Missouri, United States
Chaffee is a city in Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,057 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 3,057
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 344 ft
- ZIP code
- 63740
- Area code
- 573
More about Chaffee
Still missing for Chaffee:a photo of Chaffeeupcoming events