Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Holden’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and civic life and an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a C− for incomes. On walkability, just 37 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Holden, above both the Missouri town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Pleasant View School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Holden has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Holden beats most towns.
Miller, Joseph M., MausoleumWhere Holden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Holden is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 59 in 1860, 2,210 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 3 maps from 1885 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holden, 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 Holden.
Most working residents leave Holden for work: only 8% work in town. At 26 minutes, Holden’s average trip to work is against 22 minutes in Missouri’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Kansas City (16%), Lee's Summit (10%) and Warrensburg (6%).
| Holden | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.2% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Holden R-III. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Holden High, with 391 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holden Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 540 | B− |
| Holden HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 391 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
The typical Holden home is worth about $185,000, down 0.5% in a year, 30% below the Missouri typical home. Holden’s median rent is $809 a month.
| Holden | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $809 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Holden tracks Missouri closely on all 32 CDC measures. 26% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Holden.
| Holden | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Holden has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Holden is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Holden since 2014.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Holden City Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Holden
About 3 of every 100 Holden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
4 notable people were born in Holden.
City in Johnson County, Missouri, United States
Holden is a city in western Johnson County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, Holden had a population of 2,210.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Holden was laid out in 1857 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 4 notable people were born here, including Hooks Cotter and Jim Chaney.
