Liberty vs St. Joseph
Liberty, Missouri versus St. Joseph, Missouri: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Liberty edges out St. Joseph on overall objective livability (52 vs 46 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Liberty | St. Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $92k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $43k |
| Home Value | $250k | $138k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $854 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.18% | 0.84% |
| Income Tax | 4.80% | 4.80% |
| Sales Tax | 8.39% | 8.39% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.80% | 9.69% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 30°F | 28°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.1 in | 37.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.4 in | 21.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 260 days | 202 days |
| Summer Humidity | 67°F | 67°F |
| Comfortable Days | 76 days | 66 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 48.9 | 37.3 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 41.3 | 42.4 |
| Violent Crime | 230/100k | 2186/100k |
| Property Crime | 1086/100k | 4366/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 30,299 | 72,198 |
| Median Age | 37.3 | 37.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.33 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+25 |
| White (%) | 84.0% | 79.0% |
| Black (%) | 4.5% | 6.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.7% | 7.8% |
| Asian (%) | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.4% | 5.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 16 min |
| Walkability | 10.7/20 | 9.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 16 mi | 32 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.4% | 82.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 45.22 | 15.65 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Liberty or St. Joseph more affordable?
- St. Joseph has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Liberty's $51k and St. Joseph's $43k. Median rent is $1k in Liberty versus $854 in St. Joseph.
- Is Liberty or St. Joseph safer?
- Liberty has the lower violent crime rate. Liberty reports 230/100k and St. Joseph reports 2186/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Liberty or St. Joseph?
- The median home value is $250k in Liberty and $138k in St. Joseph, so homes are more affordable in St. Joseph.