What it's like to live in Smithville
Smithville is a small city in Missouri with home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Smithville deals with commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Smithville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Smithville
Based on Smithville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,646
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,920 a year
- 30% of Smithville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$58,120
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,060
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,323/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,323 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $290,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $290,600 · 30% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Clay County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Clay County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 64% below US
117 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 568/100k · Smithville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% 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 20°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 10% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% 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 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 Harry S Truman National Historic Site (32 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Smithville's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,323/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Smithville
All Missouri guides →Moving to Kearney →
12 mi away · pop. 10,885
Rent $1,251/mo · Income $103,622
Compare with Smithville →Moving to Gladstone →
12 mi away · pop. 27,207
Rent $1,088/mo · Income $79,271
Compare with Smithville →Moving to Excelsior Springs →
18 mi away · pop. 10,484
Rent $975/mo · Income $72,609
Compare with Smithville →Not sure Smithville is the one?
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