Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,080, laid out in 1836.
The best of Glasgow’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living, an A− for walkability, and an A for history; the weakest is a D for schools. Only 12 of Missouri’s 419 towns score higher on history. Glasgow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Glasgow beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Glasgow Public Library| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Glasgow Elementary. | PK–5 | 126 |
| St. Mary School | PK–8 | 113 |
| Glasgow High | 6–12 | 188 |
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 Glasgow is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,035 in 1860, a peak of 1,841 in 1880, 1,087 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1876 and 2 maps from 1947 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Glasgow, 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 Glasgow.
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. Public schools: the Glasgow school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow Elementary.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 126 | D |
| Glasgow HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 188 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
13% of Glasgow adults have diabetes, against 12% in Missouri’s towns and 12% across U.S. towns. The town beats the Missouri average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. The share of adults in Glasgow who have high blood pressure: 40%.
| Glasgow | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Glasgow | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.2% | 77.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.3% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A winter brings about 10 inches of snow, with January nights at 20° and July afternoons at 88°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Home values are up 7.1% over the year to September 2026. Glasgow: just over four in five households own their home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
19% of residents are under 18 in Glasgow. People 65 and older are 25% of residents (18% statewide).
| Glasgow | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.3 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 22% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Glasgow | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.7% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.2% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.1% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.3% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.7% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.8% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.9% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.8% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Half of commuters travel less than 30 miles. Jobs based in Glasgow grew to 532 in 2023, 77 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Glasgow for work: only 15% work in town. In Glasgow, the average commute is 17 minutes, below both Missouri’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
| Glasgow | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 13% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 14% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Glasgow households in 10 declared disasters; the latest was in 2021.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Glasgow
About 3 of every 100 Glasgow residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
5 places in Glasgow on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Glasgow.
City in Missouri, United States
Glasgow is a city on the Missouri River mostly in northwest Howard County and extending into the southeast corner of Chariton County in Missouri, United States. The population was 1,087 at the 2020 census. The Howard County portion of Glasgow is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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+.
5 notable people were born here, including Wild Bill Davis and Lawrence Butler.
