Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Gerald’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 28 of Missouri’s 419 towns score lower on the outdoors. Gerald has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Christian and Anna Keller Farmstead and Old Gerald School. Gerald has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Gerald beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Gerald is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 225 in 1910, 1,361 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1913 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gerald, 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 Gerald.
31% of Gerald adults feel lonely, below both the Missouri town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (33%). For adults in the town, the share who smoke cigarettes is 18%. Two figures for adults in the town: 18% binge drink, 40% have obesity.
| Gerald | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its one school is below. 283 students attend Gerald’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 283 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 21° and about 14 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Washington (11%), Union (8%) and Owensville (6%). Commuting out is the norm in Gerald: 5% of working residents work locally. The average commute in the town is 28 minutes. Half commute less than 21 miles.
| Gerald | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 13% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Gerald's reported crime rate is well below Missouri's. Its violent crime rate stands at 0.7 per 1,000 residents, against 2.2 in Missouri’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025.
| Gerald | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 12.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Nearly three fifths of Gerald households live in a home they own. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 7.1% in value. The town’s midpoint rent stands at $842 a month.
| Gerald | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $842 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA puts 44% of Gerald’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to tornadoes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Gerald after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2015.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Gerald; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Gerald residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Missouri, United States
Gerald is a city in western Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,361 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.
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.