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Living in
St. Joseph.
About
Life in St. Joseph
If you're considering St. Joseph, know that you're looking at an affordable Midwest city with real roots and a manageable pace of life. The cost of living is genuinely accessible—median home values hover around $154,000 and rent averages $898 monthly, which means your money stretches further than in most metro areas.
St. Joseph at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
38.1 yrs
Poverty Rate
17.7%
Foreign-Born
4.5%
Broadband Internet
85.9%
of households
Population Growth
-2.0%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics4.5% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in St. Joseph: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In St. Joseph, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (24.8%), and 4.5% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
22.1%
of residents
65 and Older
16.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
26.5%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
35.9%
of households
Married Couples
36.3%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.36
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 13% below MO average
Rent, home values, and income in St. Joseph
In St. Joseph, rent runs 13% below the MO average, and home values are 33% below the MO average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
48.1%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
25.5%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
86.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$1,225
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
62.8%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1962
median year built
Vacant Homes
13.5%
of housing units
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for MO
Unemployment in St. Joseph
Unemployment in St. Joseph is close to the MO average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What St. Joseph Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute17 min avg
How St. Joseph residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In St. Joseph, most residents drive alone to work (79%), and 87% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 33 mi
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
Medium hub5.6M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 52% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in St. Joseph runs 52% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
499.7
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
3,612.5
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
St. Joseph Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 10 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
74.4 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Buchanan County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Buchanan County, which includes St. Joseph, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 10 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | Not estimated |
| 2024 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | Not estimated |
| 2023 | 9 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2022 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $5,000 |
| 2021 | 6 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2020 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 11 | Flood | $100,000 |
| 2018 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Buchanan County, county-wide
Air Quality46 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Buchanan County, which includes St. Joseph, is typically good — 206 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
46
Good Days
206
per year
Moderate Days
157
per year
Unhealthy Days
1
per year
Buchanan County, county-wide
Climate86°F summers, 20°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
St. Joseph has warm summers (avg high 86°F) and very cold winters (avg low 20°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
66°/42°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
86°/65°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
67°/43°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
40°/20°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
37.5"
Annual Snowfall
21.1"
Hot Days/Year
39
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
126
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
99
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 17°F | 0.71" |
| Feb | 43°F | 21°F | 0.95" |
| Mar | 55°F | 32°F | 2.06" |
| Apr | 66°F | 42°F | 3.71" |
| May | 76°F | 54°F | 4.87" |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 4.75" |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 4.73" |
| Aug | 86°F | 65°F | 3.84" |
| Sep | 80°F | 54°F | 3.18" |
| Oct | 68°F | 43°F | 2.84" |
| Nov | 53°F | 31°F | 1.87" |
| Dec | 41°F | 21°F | 1.25" |
Healthcare2 hospitals, avg 4.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in St. Joseph
St. Joseph has 2 hospitals, averaging 4.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
2
within city limits
Uninsured
12.3%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
4.0 / 5
Mosaic Life Care at St Joseph
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehab Ctr
Psychiatric
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education14.2:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in St. Joseph
St. Joseph's student/teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 23.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
28
within city limits
Private Schools
9
within city limits
College Degree Rate
23.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.2:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in St. Joseph
Missouri Western State University
Public · 4-year · 2,219 students · in-state tuition $11,056 · 43% graduate · median earnings $47,624 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Harry S Truman National Historic Site, 60 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for St. Joseph
St. Joseph has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Harry S Truman National Historic Site (60 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Harry S Truman National Historic Site
National Historic Site
60 mi awayBrown v. Board of Education National Historical Park
National Historical Park
68 mi awayPublic Libraries in St. Joseph
Downtown Library
927 Felix Street, St. Joseph
Rolling Hills Consolidated Library
1904 N Belt Hwy, St. Joseph
Carnegie Library
316 Massachusetts St, St. Joseph
East Hills Library
502 North Woodbine Road, St. Joseph
Washington Park Library
1821 N 3rd St, St. Joseph
Cities Near St. Joseph
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to St. Joseph?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
St. Joseph FAQ
Is St. Joseph, Missouri affordable?⌄
St. Joseph's median rent is $898/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $57,956/year. Median home value is $154,200.
Is St. Joseph, Missouri safe?⌄
St. Joseph's violent crime rate was 500 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is above the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 3613 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in St. Joseph, Missouri?⌄
St. Joseph has an unemployment rate of 4.2%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in St. Joseph, Missouri?⌄
The cost of living in St. Joseph is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $898/month and median household income is $57,956/year. The median home value is $154,200. About 48% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in St. Joseph, Missouri?⌄
The average commute in St. Joseph is 17 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from