Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Richmond gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $236K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the Kansas City metro’s $83K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 163rd of 247 in Missouri. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country and its schools rank behind 78% of the state's. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 78% of U.S. towns. Richmond’s average commute is 35 minutes, above both Missouri’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). On hazard risk, just 14 of Missouri’s 419 towns do better. Richmond's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Where Richmond beats most towns.
Ray County Poor FarmEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Richmond is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 615 in 1860, 6,013 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1889 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richmond, 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 Richmond.
Richmond trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally and trades workers with Kansas City and other neighbors.
4.7 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Southview Park, at 33 acres. In Richmond, the trail network density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Richmond | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Southview Park | — | 33 |
| 2. Charles Armour Park | — | 31 |
| 3. Maurice Roberts Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The public schools here belong to the Richmond R-Xvi school district. The largest public high school is Richmond High, with 474 students. Two of its 4 schools are shown below, with the reason for each.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 460 | C+ |
| Richmond HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 474 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
20% of Richmond adults smoke cigarettes. Among adults locally, 36% get no exercise outside work.
| Richmond | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 30% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Richmond | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.5% | 15.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.1% | 16% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Richmond, the FEMA risk score is 27 of 100. 32% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 29%. The town has had 2 paid flood insurance claims since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 27.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 56% of Missouri’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 170 to 62 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The rate of thefts and burglaries in Richmond is 17.7 per 1,000 residents. The level of violent crime locally is 3.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Richmond | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 17.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Summer afternoons peak near 88° in July, and January nights bottom out around 20°; snowfall runs to about 14 inches a winter. Summers in Richmond are warm, and winters chilly.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Richmond has about as many jobs (2,517) as working residents, but only 605 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 34.8 minutes, against 23.5 across Missouri.
Jobs based in Richmond grew to 2,517 in 2023, 392 more than in 2013. For working residents locally, the share who work locally is 23%. The top destinations are Kansas City (18%), Excelsior Springs (6%) and Liberty (6%). The middle household income for Richmond comes to $60,000.
| Richmond | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 13% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $236K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles.
Typical home values rose 2.7% in the year to September 2026. For Richmond, the midpoint rent is $722 a month. On the market here: a median 17 days to sell.
| Richmond | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $722 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Richmond; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Richmond residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
4 places in Richmond on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Missouri, U.S.
Richmond is a city in and the county seat of Ray County, Missouri, United States, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 6,013 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Richmond.
Henrietta isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Richmond with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Richmond grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #163 of 247 in Missouri. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
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.
