Independence ranks #44 in Missouri for conserved land
Independence is ranked on 36 lists against the 256 Missouri towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 1.
Fewer homes per newcomer than 88% of Missouri
Not better or worse, just Independence’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Independence out-ranks 1 of its 4 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Independence lands in the top half on 7 of 22 lists
Each dot is Independence’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MO, the right end is last. Areas where Independence does best come first.
The lists Independence does best on
Each list ranks every MO town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Independence marked.
Every MO list, and where Independence lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Park Hills · 63%
#44
Most trails#1 Park Hills · 3.3 mi / sq mi
#68
Most walkable#1 Pine Lawn · 213 / sq mi
#166 
Health
Healthiest#1 Ladue · 99 / 100
#163
Lowest obesity#1 Town and Country · 23%
#94
Fewest smokers#1 Town and Country · 7%
#134
Most active#1 Glendale · 16%
#169
Fewest uninsured#1 Ladue · 3%
#212
Lowest depression#1 Black Jack · 19%
#199
Closest to a top hospital#1 Branson · 0.0 mi
#106 People
Most educated#1 Glendale · 90.1%
#130
F
Youngest#1 Fort Leonard Wood · 20.5
#145
Oldest#1 Osage Beach · 59.4
#110
Most residents 65+#1 Forsyth · 36.4%
#105
Most kids#1 Glasgow Village · 40%
#135 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Pine Lawn · 0.9 yrs
#124
Cheapest rent#1 Mountain View · $424/mo
#170
Lowest property tax#1 Mountain Grove · $438/yr
#165
Rent easiest to afford#1 De Soto · 20.3%
#77 Getting around
F Shortest commute#1 Fort Leonard Wood · 9 min #167Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Osage Beach · 57.2%
#81
N
Most new homes#1 North Kansas City · 27.0 per 1,000
#138
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Versailles · +110.5%
#100
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Forsyth · 13.6 per home
#11 
Safety
Safest#1 Odessa · 4.4
#121 
The number on the right is Independence’s spot. All of Missouri’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every MO list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.