Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Caruthersville earns a D−, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. The median household income is $35K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Caruthersville, above both Missouri’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On hazard risk, just 3 of Missouri’s 419 towns do worse. Caruthersville's police reported 45 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 96% of U.S. towns.
Where Caruthersville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Caruthersville Water Tower| Widest gap | Caruthersville | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.1% | 13.7% |
1.6% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Caruthersville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 230 in 1890, a peak of 8,643 in 1960, 5,562 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1938 and 4 maps from 1939 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Caruthersville, 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 Caruthersville.
Caruthersville has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Missouri (mostly earthquakes) and reports violent crime at about twice the Missouri rate.
7.8 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The trail density in Caruthersville is 1.5 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is American Legion Fairgrounds, at 25 acres.
| Caruthersville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. American Legion Fairgrounds | — | 25 |
| 2. England Park | 0.2 mi | 21 |
| 3. Eastside Park | 0.2 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Caruthersville 18 school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caruthersville ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 475 | D |
| Caruthersville HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 243 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
At 2.1 years of the county’s $40K median household income, the typical home (about $85K) costs less against local pay than in 88% of Missouri towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. Values fell 14.1% in the past year while the Missouri typical home rose 3.4%.
The typical Caruthersville home is worth about $85,000, 68% below the Missouri typical home. 48% of Caruthersville households own their home.
| Caruthersville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $801 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
35% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Caruthersville. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Caruthersville. 22% of adults report frequent mental distress in Caruthersville.
| Caruthersville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 17% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Caruthersville | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.5% | 16.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.1% | 13.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime runs at 8.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Missouri rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−.
Caruthersville’s violent crime rate is 8.9 per 1,000 residents. Caruthersville reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less. Caruthersville’s property crime rate is 19.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Caruthersville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.9 per 1,000 residents | 12.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Missouri towns, with expected losses of about $707 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Among 247 Missouri towns, just 2 have a higher FEMA risk score than Caruthersville. Since 1978, 47 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Caruthersville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Caruthersville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 10 have a higher July high than Caruthersville.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Caruthersville’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Caruthersville fell to 1,852 in 2023, 445 fewer than in 2013. Only 8 of the 247 Missouri towns we compare have a lower median household income than Caruthersville.
| Caruthersville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Caruthersville; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Caruthersville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
5 notable people were born in Caruthersville.
City in Missouri, United States
Caruthersville ( kə-RUDH-ərz-vil) is a city and the county seat of Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States, located along the Mississippi River in the Bootheel region of the state's far southeast. The population was 5,562, according to the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Caruthersville grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and D− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 2.1 years of the area's median household income ($40,089 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
5 notable people were born here, including Donna Hightower and Eddie Acuff.
