What it's like to live in Maryville
Maryville is a small city in Missouri with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Maryville deals with household incomes below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, a poverty rate above the national average, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Maryville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Maryville
Based on Maryville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,616
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $32,320 a year
- 45% of Maryville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$37,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,940
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 43% below US
$808/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $808 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $189,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $189,400 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Nodaway County is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Nodaway County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 28% below US
238 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1517/100k · Maryville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 57% below US
11 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 11.1 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (84 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Maryville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($808/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Maryville
All Missouri guides →Moving to Smithville →
67 mi away · pop. 10,705
Rent $1,323/mo · Income $101,165
Compare with Maryville →Moving to Excelsior Springs →
77 mi away · pop. 10,484
Rent $975/mo · Income $72,609
Compare with Maryville →Not sure Maryville is the one?
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