RensselaerMO
A town of 249, settled in 1871.
Is Rensselaer a good place to live?
Of the 248 Missouri towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Rensselaer. Rensselaer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
249 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Rensselaer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rensselaer, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rensselaer.
Most of Rensselaer’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.1 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Hannibal (21%), Monroe City (10%) and Columbia (6%). Rensselaer’s mean commuting time is 27 minutes, against 22 minutes in Missouri’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 7.8% of residents live below the poverty line in the town. Half commute less than 20 miles.
| Rensselaer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.8% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Rensselaer
A winter brings about 13 inches of snow, with January nights at 19° and July afternoons at 86°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Compared with most of Missouri and the rest of the country, the median age in Rensselaer is higher
Four-year graduates: nearly a quarter of adults 25 and older here, 32% across Missouri. People 65 and older are just over a quarter of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide).
| Rensselaer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.1 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 22% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.6 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Rensselaer | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.4% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.9% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.9% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.9% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.4% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
How healthy Rensselaer is
Rensselaer: just over a quarter of adults have been diagnosed with depression, where Missouri’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 23%. The share of adults in Rensselaer who report frequent physical distress: 16%.
| Rensselaer | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Rensselaer | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 33.1% | 28.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest natural risk in Rensselaer is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
FEMA puts 48% of Rensselaer’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 19% to heat waves. Compared with 54% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Mark Twain Cave and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rensselaer. Close and well known come first.
11 mi CaveMark Twain Cave
10 mi MuseumMark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
31 mi National Historic SiteNew Philadelphia National Historic Site
19 mi MuseumJohn Wood MansionPhoto credits
Mark Twain Cave: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 · New Philadelphia National Historic Site: Nyttend, Public domain · John Wood Mansion: Smallbones, Public domain
Everything we know about Rensselaer
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rensselaer
About 4 of every 100 Rensselaer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
100% of working residents leave Rensselaer for work
Where Rensselaer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Rensselaer
Village in Missouri, United States
Rensselaer ( REN-səl-ər) is a village in Ralls County, Missouri, United States. The population was 253 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 699 ft
Questions about Rensselaer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rensselaer, MO a good place to live?
Rensselaer has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.