Grindstone Creek Bridge, Spanning Grindstone Creek at Cart Road No. 458, Osborn
De Kalb’s story
186 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
- 1840De Kalb is settled
De KalbMO
Population
243
2025 Census estimate · +4.3% since 2020
Typical home
$300K
+8.8% in a year
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
28.1
years
Jobs based here
10
A commuter town
Is De Kalb a good place to live?
37% of residents are under 18 in De Kalb, above both the Missouri town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Among 248 Missouri towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than De Kalb. De Kalb has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes De Kalb stand out
Where De Kalb beats most towns.
Small town
243 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to De Kalb: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in De Kalb, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDekalb PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have De Kalb’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBuchananBuchanan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2021
ZIP code6444064440 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in De Kalb.
Work & commute
About half of De Kalb’s working residents commute to St. Joseph
Most working residents leave De Kalb for work: only 0% work in town. At 28 minutes, De Kalb’s average trip to work is against 22 minutes in Missouri’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Since 2013, De Kalb has lost 53 jobs, to 10 in 2023.
0%work in town
| De Kalb | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 14% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In De Kalb0%
St. Joseph49%
Kansas City9%
Atchison8%
North Kansas City4%
14 mi
median commute distance
10
jobs based in De Kalb
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in De Kalb
De Kalb has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 19° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–40°
Spring43–65°
Summer66–86°
Fall45–66°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in De Kalb is valued at about $300K
The typical De Kalb home is worth about $300,000, up 8.8% in a year, 13% above the Missouri typical home.
$300KZillow home value
| De Kalb | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $940 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
De Kalb$300K
Missouri$265K
+8.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy De Kalb is
De Kalb beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 44% of De Kalb adults have obesity.
| De Kalb | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | De Kalb | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 23.3% | 16% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 8% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 18.1% | 13.7% |
Amberwell Atchison Association
11.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in De Kalb
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 49 attractions →SubTropolis and 22 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around De Kalb. Close and well known come first.
38 mi Park & preserveSubTropolis
37 mi Theme parkWorlds of Fun
38 mi Stadium & arenaCPKC Stadium
39 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Center
33 mi Stadium & arenaSporting Park
38 mi Stadium & arenaHy-Vee ArenaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
SubTropolis: ErgoSum88, Public domain · Worlds of Fun: Tkexb173 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · CPKC Stadium: elisfkc2, CC BY-SA 2.0 · T-Mobile Center: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sporting Park: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hy-Vee Arena: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about De Kalb
16pages on De Kalb
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of De Kalb
Benedictine CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Atchison, KS10.2 mi$36,350 tuitionMissouri Western State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Saint Joseph13.8 mi$10,306 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 De Kalb residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave De Kalb for work
Where De Kalb’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
10jobs based in De Kalb
0%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About De Kalb
City in Missouri, United States
De Kalb is a city in southwest Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. The population was 233 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Joseph, MO–KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,145 ft
- ZIP code
- 64440
- Area code
- 816
Questions about De Kalb
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is De Kalb, MO a good place to live?
De Kalb has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.