Adams Street looking west, 1890
Festus’s story
148 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,335 in 1890, 12,706 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
- 1878Festus is established
FestusMO
A town of 14,066, established in 1878. Public schools that outperform most of Missouri.
Trash day: Wednesday2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0
Population
14,066
2025 Census estimate · +10.2% since 2020
Typical home
$303K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
4,283
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#73 of 247 in MO
Is Festus a good place to live?
Festus gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $303K for a typical one, or 3.8 years of the St. Louis metro’s $80K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 73rd of 247 in Missouri. On the plus side, its public schools beat 95% of Missouri towns on state tests and graduation. 28% of residents are under 18 in Festus, where Missouri’s towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 22%. The biggest park or preserve is Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, at 119 acres.
What makes Festus stand out
Where Festus beats most towns.
FESTUS R-VI schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Festus Elem. | K–3 | 1,045 |
| Our Lady Catholic School | PK–8 | 261 |
| Festus Intermediate | 4–6 | 804 |
SchoolsA+
#11 of the 247 Missouri towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Typical home value
Festus$303K
Missouri$265K
Cost of livingA−
More affordable than 83% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Library visits per resident
Festus4.3
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical MO town2.6
Civic lifeB+
64% more library visits per person
than the typical Missouri town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Festus for work
Where Festus’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,283jobs based in Festus
9%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Festus grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Festus is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →Cost of livingA−Open →HealthMercy Hospital Jefferson 2.1 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Jobs & income$74K median household income; 4,283 jobs based hereC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.8 of 20; 7.1% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 5% conserved landB−Open →HistoryEstablished 1878; 5 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life4.3 library visits per resident; 3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market35 days on market–Open →Who lives here24% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Festus: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Festus, and how to reach them.
PowerUnion Electric13.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFestus PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTown’s haulerTown site
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 hereJeffersonJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6302863028 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 Festus.
Festus pairs an A+ for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally.
SchoolsA+
Festus earns an A+ for schools
That grade comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $303K. It ranks #11 of the 247 Missouri towns we grade for schools.
Public schools: Festus R-VI. Three of its 6 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The largest public high school is Festus SR. High, with 1,019 students.
95%of MO districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Festus Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 1,045 | A+ |
| Festus SR. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,019 | B+ |
| Festus IntermediateTop results in townGrades 4–6 | Grades 4–6 | 804 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Festus’ workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Festus’ average trip to work stands at 26 minutes. Just nearly a tenth of the town’s working residents have a job in town. In Festus, 17% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are St. Louis (12%), Crystal City (5%) and Arnold (4%).
9%work in town
| Festus | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 9% | 11% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Festus9%
St. Louis12%
Crystal City5%
Arnold4%
Creve Coeur3%
26 mi
median commute distance
4,283
jobs based in Festus
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Festus trails 74% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Festus who feel lonely: 31%. The town tracks Missouri closely on all 32 CDC measures.
26%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Festus | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Mercy Hospital Jefferson
2.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
44th
percentile among MO towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers: that is Festus’ year
The range runs from 23° on a January night to 89° on a July afternoon, with about 9 inches of snow a winter.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–45°
Spring45–68°
Summer66–88°
Fall47–69°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Festus faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
89 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Flood insurance has paid out on 89 claims in Festus since 1979. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Festus after 9 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. 42% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 16%.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
89
paid flood claims since 1979
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
Festus earns an A− for cost of living
Homes are within reach (about $303K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles.
Home values are up 5.9% over the year to September 2026. 58% of households live in a home they own in Festus. Bidding over the asking price: 74% of homes sold here.
$303KZillow home value
| Festus | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $922 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Festus$303K
Missouri$265K
Market temperature
35
days on market
99.8%
sale-to-list price
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
19
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
More children than Missouri overall
16% of Festus residents are 65 or older. Population is up 10% here since 2020, to 14,066 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Festus’ age of the median resident is 36.7 years.
36.7median age · MO 39
| Festus | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 22% | 29% |
FestusMissouriUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school26%
Some college22%
Associate’s16%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Festus | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.8% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.3% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.3% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.2% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.8% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.3% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.7% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
5.3%conserved
5.3%
conserved · 200 of 3,777 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Larry G. Crites Memorial Park | — | 119 |
| 2. Sunset Park | 0.1 mi | 16 |
| 3. Jorkerst Memorial Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyB−
Less crime per resident in Festus than in 52% of U.S. towns
At 17.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 66% of Missouri’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 218 to 145 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The rate of reported violence for Festus comes to 1.4 per 1,000 residents.
52%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Festus | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9 per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Festus1.4
Missouri4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Festus9
Missouri16.9
U.S.15.5
52nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
66th
percentile among MO towns
19
violent crimes reported in 2025
126
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Festus
20pages on Festus
The big questions
SchoolsA+Beat 95% of MO districts · 6 schoolsSafetyB−1.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than MO on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$303K typical home · up 5.9% in a yearWork & commuteC+$74K median household income · 4,283 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Festus
About 4 of every 100 Festus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Famous people from Festus
5 notable people were born in Festus.
About Festus
City in Missouri, United States
Festus is a city situated in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States, and is also a suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,706.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1887
- Area
- 5.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 427 ft
- ZIP code
- 63028
- Area code
- 636
Festus’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Festus.
Crystal CityHerculaneumFestus
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festus | #73 | B+ | A− | B− | A+ | C |
| Crystal City | #17 | A | A | A− | A− | C |
| Herculaneum | #61 | B+ | B | B− | A | C |
Questions about Festus
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Festus, MO a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Festus grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #73 of 247 in Missouri. It grades C for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools.
Is Festus, MO expensive?
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−.
What is Festus, MO known for?
Festus was established in 1878. 5 notable people were born here, including Matt Stites and Kevin P. Engler.