Independence, MO
Census place 2935000 · pop 121,740
Hometown of President Harry S. Truman and the historic jumping-off point for the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3584 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
18.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
587 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
21.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$60,339 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
15.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
37.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
4 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
60.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.11% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
87/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$172,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,343/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Frequently asked
- Is Independence, MO a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Independence scores 43/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is property crime rate. Missouri overall ranks #26 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Independence, MO?
- Independence reports 587 violent crimes per 100k and 3584 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Independence, MO expensive to live in?
- Independence has a median home value of $172,900 and typical rent around $1,343/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Independence, MO?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (3584/100k) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Independence, MO best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,343/mo) — 79/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Hometown of President Harry S. Truman and the historic jumping-off point for the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.