St. Joseph, MO
Census place 2964550 · pop 71,236
Outlaw Jesse James was shot dead here in 1882, and the city was the eastern starting point of the Pony Express.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3934 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-6.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
740 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
42.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
19.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$57,956 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
23.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 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 67.2% · worse than most cities
62.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% 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 0.99% · better than most cities
0.79% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
69/100 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 1 days · better than most cities
0 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 $214,900 · better than most cities
$154,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
17 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for St. Joseph: Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is St. Joseph, MO a good place to live?
- By the numbers, St. Joseph scores 39/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time 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 St. Joseph, MO?
- St. Joseph reports 740 violent crimes per 100k and 3934 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is St. Joseph, MO expensive to live in?
- St. Joseph has a median home value of $154,200 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in St. Joseph, MO?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (3934/100k) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is St. Joseph, MO best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (17 min) — 90/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Outlaw Jesse James was shot dead here in 1882, and the city was the eastern starting point of the Pony Express.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.