Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Marshall gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $199K for a typical one, or 3.4 years of the Marshall area’s $58K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 132nd of 247 graded towns in Missouri. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $54K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line, and its schools rank behind 78% of the state's. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. 43% of working residents work locally in Marshall, above both the Missouri town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 12 of Missouri’s 419 towns score higher on hazard risk. Marshall is home to Missouri Valley College.
Where Marshall beats most towns.
Saline County Courthouse
Census counts: 2,701 in 1880, 13,806 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 2 maps from 1940 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Marshall is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marshall, 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 Marshall.
Marshall fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Missouri.
Its public schools are run by the Marshall school district. Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bueker MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 550 | D |
| Marshall SR. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 827 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Marshall.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (37% statewide). 15% of Marshall residents are 65 or older. 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Missouri.
| Marshall | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.9 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 22% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Marshall | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.3% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.7% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 15.1% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.2% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.8% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.2% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.2% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Marshall’s median rent is $761 a month. Typical home values rose 5.6% in the year to September 2026.
| Marshall | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $761 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Marshall has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 20° and about 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 5,613 working residents takes 14.5 minutes, against 23.5 across Missouri.
The average trip to work in Marshall is 15 minutes. Since 2013, Marshall has lost 896 jobs, to 6,031 in 2023. 3.8% of workers work from home in Marshall.
| Marshall | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 9% | 11% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 7,244 U.S. towns with household incomes like Marshall’s, it is healthier than 69%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Missouri it is healthier than 60% of the 247 graded towns: much of Missouri scores lower on these measures.
Marshall beats the Missouri average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Marshall | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 9.4% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Marshall | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.1% | 8.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 25% | 28.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.9% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 15.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 74% of Missouri’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 203 to 94 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Indian Foothills Park, at 119 acres.
| Marshall | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Indian Foothills Park | 0.6 mi | 119 |
| 2. Amary Lake Park | 0.3 mi | 28 |
| 3. Peyton Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Marshall
College town 15 of every 100 Marshall residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
6 places in Marshall on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Marshall.
City in Missouri, U.S.
Marshall is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,806 at the 2020 census. The Marshall Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Saline County. It is home to Missouri Valley University.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marshall grades C+ overall, better than 41% of U.S. towns and #132 of 247 in Missouri. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
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 B+.
13 notable people were born here, including Noble Johnson and Joel Douglas Hubbard.
