What it's like to live in Troy
Troy is a small city in Missouri with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Troy deals with commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Troy compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Troy
Based on Troy's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,066
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,320 a year
- 43% of Troy renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,300
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,650
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,033/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,033 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 $226,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $226,500 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Lincoln County is 3.9%, 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.
Lincoln County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 69% below US
103 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 842/100k · Troy Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 12% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29 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; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
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 & workforce▼ 59% below US
15% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 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 Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site (44 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Troy's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,033/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Troy
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