Sikeston St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Depot · National Register of Historic Places
Sikeston’s story
166 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1860Sikeston is settled
SikestonMO
A town of 16,320, settled in 1860. A regional job hub with 10,590 jobs.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
16,320
−0.2% since 2010
Typical home
$164K
+1.5% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
38.2
years
Jobs based here
10,590
A job hub
What makes Sikeston stand out
The 3 things Sikeston does most differently from other towns.
10,590jobs here
Work
10,590 jobs
based in Sikeston, a regional job hub
44% of working residents work in town.
100 U.S. towns● Sikeston
Safety
Safer than 2%
of U.S. towns we grade
Safety Grade D−. FBI data, crimes reported to police.
100 U.S. towns● Sikeston
Health
90% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than MO on 1 measures, worse on 17.
A job hub
Every workday, about 7,735 people come to Sikeston for work
Where Sikeston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
10,590jobs based in Sikeston
44%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Sikeston’s report card
Commute5 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyD−Less crime than 2% of U.S. townsHealthDHealthier than 10% of U.S. townsOutdoors13 mi#44 for trails in MOHousing$164K39% below the MO typical homeHazards87/100Very high risk of storm & flood damageClimate90°/28°Summer high · winter low · 3″ snowSchoolsC+Beats 37% of MO districts
Now in Sikeston
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Sikeston is #104 of 104 in MO for “Losing population”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Sikeston’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →84°
Clear
H 0° · L 69°
Local news
All →- 82nd annual American Legion Cotton Carnival runs through Oct. 3KFVS12 · Sep 30
- Sikeston DPS investigating after 3 shot at large Labor Day weekend gatheringKFVS12 · Sep 8
- Sikeston DPS: One arrested after ShotSpotter alertWPSD Local 6 · Sep 2
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sikeston. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in two working residents works right in Sikeston
44% of Sikeston’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Cape Girardeau (6%), Miner (4%) and Dexter (3%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
44%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sikeston44%
Cape Girardeau6%
Miner4%
Dexter3%
Matthews2%
5 mi
median commute distance
10,590
jobs based in Sikeston
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 2% of U.S. towns
Sikeston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less.
D−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sikeston10.4
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sikeston27.3
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
2nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
5th
percentile among MO towns
166
violent crimes reported in 2025
437
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 10% of U.S. towns
Sikeston beats the Missouri average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
DHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Sikeston | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.4% | 16.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.8% | 13.7% |
Missouri Delta Medical Center
0.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
25th
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
1.5% of Sikeston is conserved land
13 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
#44for trails in MO
1.5%
conserved · 168 of 11,498 acres
13 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sikeston Park | 0.5 mi | 15 |
| 2. West End Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Malone Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing
A typical Sikeston home is worth about $164K
The typical Sikeston home is worth about $164,000, up 1.5% in a year, 39% below the Missouri typical home.
$164KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sikeston$164K
Missouri$268K
Market temperature
43
days on market
96.6%
sale-to-list price
+1.5%
value change, 1 year
12
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesTornadoesInland flooding
57
paid flood claims since 1978
11
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Sikeston has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–47°
Spring48–69°
Summer68–88°
Fall49–71°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools
Sikeston’s public schools outperform 37% of Missouri districts
The public schools Sikeston’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 63% of Missouri’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sikeston Kindergarten CTR. | PK–K | 403 | Not graded |
| Lee Hunter Elem. | 1–4 | 369 | B |
| Wing Elem. | 1–4 | 359 | C− |
| Southeast Elem. | 1–4 | 250 | C− |
| St. Francis Xavier School Private | PK–8 | 90 | |
| Sikeston Middle School | 5–6 | 493 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduationAll 13 schools →
About Sikeston
City in Missouri, United States
Sikeston ( SYKE-stən) is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the state of Missouri, United States. It is situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Interstate 57, and U.S. Route 60, Sikeston is close to the halfway point between St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee and is four hours from Nashville. The city is named after John Sikes, who founded it in 1860. It is the principal city of the Sikeston Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of all of Scott County, and has a total population of 41,143. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 16,291, making it th…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1860
- Population
- 16,291
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 328 ft
- ZIP code
- 63801
- Area code
- 573
Sikeston’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Sikeston.
MinerSikeston
More about Sikeston
Still missing for Sikeston:archive photosupcoming events