Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bethany gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $135K, 2.5 years of the county’s $54K median household income. It grades B− overall, 111th among Missouri's 247 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. 34% of working residents work locally in Bethany, above both Missouri’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 2 of the 247 Missouri towns we compare have a lower January low than Bethany. Hamilton House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Bethany beats most towns.
3,292 counted in 2010 and 2,915 in 2020; an estimated 2,956 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Bethany is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 994 in 1880, 2,915 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethany, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Bethany.
Bethany trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Homes are within reach (about $135K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles. At 2.5 years of the county’s $54K median household income, the typical home (about $135K) costs less against local pay than in 79% of Missouri towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The median rent in Bethany is $700 a month. Typical home values rose 6.1% in the year to September 2026. 56% of households own their home in Bethany.
| Bethany | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $700 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 5,169 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bethany’s, it is healthier than 53%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
17% of Bethany adults report frequent physical distress. Bethany beats the Missouri average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 29% of Bethany adults feel lonely.
| Bethany | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Bethany | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.6% | 77.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 12.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 84% of Missouri’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 38 to 24 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Bethany’s property crime rate is 5.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Bethany | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 5.1 per 1,000 residents | 14 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Bethany has chilly winters and warm summers. Only 6 of the 247 Missouri towns we compare have a lower July high than Bethany.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Bethany’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Kansas City (8%), St. Joseph (5%) and Albany (4%).
| Bethany | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bethany.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Memorial Park, at 28 acres.
| Bethany | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 28 |
| 2. Prentis Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Bethany; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Bethany residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Missouri, United States
Bethany is a city in, and the county seat of, Harrison County, Missouri, approximately midway between Kansas City and Des Moines on Interstate 35. The population was 2,915 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bethany grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #111 of 247 in Missouri. It grades C− for health, B+ for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
2 notable people were born here, including Frank Buckles and Tyler Luellen.