Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
57% more nonprofits per person than the typical Missouri town.
Paris’ best subject grades are an A for cost of living, walkability, and civic life; its weakest is a C for incomes. On walkability, just 30 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. 27% of residents are under 18 in Paris, above both Missouri’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). On history, just 25 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Paris city park, at 29 acres. Paris has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Paris beats most towns.
Paris Male AcademyIn 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 Paris is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 895 in 1870, a peak of 1,598 in 1980, 1,161 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2009.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paris, 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 Paris.
The typical Paris home is worth about $203,000, up 6.3% in a year, 24% below the Missouri typical home. At $752 a month, Paris’ median rent is below both the Missouri town median ($971 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Paris | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $752 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Paris R-II. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 248 | C+ |
| Paris HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 163 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Paris has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 19° and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Paris for work: only 14% work in town. Jobs based in Paris fell to 438 in 2023, 59 fewer than in 2013. 8% of residents live below the poverty line in Paris.
| Paris | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Paris beats the Missouri average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 14% of Paris adults binge drink.
| Paris | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 78% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Paris | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.7% | 9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.6% | 12.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Paris city park | — | 29 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 2004, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Paris.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Paris; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Paris residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
City in Missouri, U.S.
Paris is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,161 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.
57% more nonprofits per person than the typical Missouri town.
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.