Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Jennings grades D overall, 213th of 247 graded towns in Missouri, mostly because of health and schools. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. Its public schools trail 91% of Missouri towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: a typical home costs about $72K, less than a year of the St. Louis metro’s $80K median household income. Jennings’ trail density is 2.5 miles per square mile, above both the Missouri town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. On civic life, just 19 of Missouri’s 390 towns do worse.
Where Jennings beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Jennings | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 29.5% | 9% |
14,712 counted in 2010 and 12,895 in 2020; an estimated 13,093 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Jennings is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 15,282 in 1950, a peak of 19,965 in 1960, 12,895 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1961 and 6 maps from 1933 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jennings. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi State parkCahokia
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaThe Dome at America's Center
8 mi Stadium & arenaBusch Stadium
8 mi National ParkGateway Arch National Park2.2M visitors a year
12 mi LandmarkMonks Mound
8 mi Stadium & arenaEnterprise CenterCahokia: Thank You (24 Millions ) views, CC BY 2.0 · The Dome at America's Center: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Busch Stadium: Lee Ann Ratledge, CC BY 4.0 · Gateway Arch National Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Monks Mound: Skubasteve834, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Enterprise Center: Haaron755, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jennings, 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 Jennings.
Jennings has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Missouri and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Missouri rate.
At 2.5 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 145 Missouri towns.
On this, Jennings is close to Missouri’s towns (2.1%) and below U.S. towns (4.3%). 9.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sievers Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Jennings school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northview Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 540 | D |
| Jennings HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 666 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
At 0.9 years of the St. Louis metro’s $80K median household income, the typical home (about $72K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Missouri towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. 65.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 45.6% across Missouri.
45% of Jennings households own their home.
| Jennings | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $961 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
39% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Jennings. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Jennings. 40% of adults feel lonely in Jennings.
| Jennings | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Jennings | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.2% | 16.3% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 29.5% | 9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Jennings for work: only 2% work in town. The median household income in Jennings is $39,000. Jobs based in Jennings fell to 2,351 in 2023, 226 fewer than in 2013.
| Jennings | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 13% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jennings.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jennings has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 23° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
22 within 15 miles of the center of Jennings
About 2 of every 100 Jennings residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
Where Jennings’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Missouri, US
Jennings is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 12,895.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Jennings.
| Town | MO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennings | #213 | D | A− | — | D | D− |
| Northwoods | #194 | C− | B+ | — | D− | D− |
| Country Club Hills | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ferguson | #236 | D | B+ | D− | C− | D− |
| Bellefontaine Neighbors | #245 | D− | B+ | D | D | D− |
| Pine Lawn | #207 | D | A− | — | D− | D− |
| Norwood Court | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| St. Louis | #227 | D | B | D− | D− | C |
Jennings, Northwoods and Pine Lawn report no FBI crime data of their own. Country Club Hills and Norwood Court aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Jennings with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jennings grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #213 of 247 in Missouri. It grades D− for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Louis, MO-IL metro 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−.
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