Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Smithville grades A overall, 24th of 247 graded towns in Missouri, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $101K and its schools outperform 91% of the state's. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns. A typical home there costs about $377K, 4.5 years of the Kansas City metro’s $83K median household income. Smithville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns. Smithville has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Aker Cemetery and Downtown Smithville Historic District. Smithville’s median household income is $101,000, above both the Missouri town median ($62,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000).
Where Smithville beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Heights Elementary | K–6 | 492 |
| Horizon Elementary | K–6 | 448 |
| Maple Elementary | PK–6 | 358 |
Aker Cemetery8,425 counted in 2010 and 10,406 in 2020; an estimated 11,160 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7% since 2020, after 23.5% in the decade before.
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 Smithville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 231 in 1880, 10,406 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers and 4 maps from 1914 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smithville, 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 Smithville.
Smithville fares better on crime within Missouri than nationally, owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
Its public schools are run by Smithville R-II. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Smithville High, with 845 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Heights ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 492 | A− |
| Smithville HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 845 | A |
| Horizon ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 448 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
84% of households own their home in Smithville. The typical Smithville home is worth about $377,000, up 2% in a year, 42% above the Missouri typical home. The median rent in Smithville is $1,323 a month.
| Smithville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,323 a month | $970 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Jobs based here grew from 1,789 in 2013 to 2,385.
Most working residents leave Smithville for work: only 9% work in town. Smithville’s average trip to work is 29 minutes. Since 2013, Smithville has added 596 jobs, to 2,385 in 2023.
| Smithville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 9% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.5% | 13% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,416 U.S. towns with household incomes like Smithville’s, it is healthier than 52%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
33% of Smithville adults sleep under 7 hours. Smithville beats the Missouri average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 23% of Smithville adults get no exercise outside work.
| Smithville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Smithville | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 13.7% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.2% | 15.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 12.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 84% of Missouri’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 13 reported in 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Smithville has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 20° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 90 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smithville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). Smithville has grown 7% since 2020, to 11,160 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Missouri.
| Smithville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 22% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.4 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.8 points). Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Smithville | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.3% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.8% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.1% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.1% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.9% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.4% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
1.2 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Smithville Lake Recreation Area, at 66 acres.
| Smithville | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heritage Park | 0.5 mi | 16 |
| 2. Smithville Lake Recreation Area | — | 66 |
| 3. Smith's Fork Park | — | 47 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Smithville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaArrowhead Stadium
17 mi Park & preserveSubTropolis
24 mi Stadium & arenaKauffman Stadium
16 mi Theme parkWorlds of Fun
19 mi Stadium & arenaCPKC Stadium
21 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile CenterArrowhead Stadium: Ichabod, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SubTropolis: ErgoSum88, Public domain · Kauffman Stadium: Mysteryman28, Public domain · Worlds of Fun: Tkexb173 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · CPKC Stadium: elisfkc2, CC BY-SA 2.0 · T-Mobile Center: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Smithville
About 7 of every 100 Smithville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri.
Where Smithville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, United States
Smithville is a city along the Little Platte River in Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, United States, that is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 10,406 at the 2020 United States census. Smithville is also known for the Smithville Lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Smithville grades A overall, better than 87% of U.S. towns and #24 of 247 in Missouri. It grades B+ for health, B+ for safety and A for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
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