Walnut Inn · National Register of Historic Places
Tarkio’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1880Tarkio is settled
TarkioMO
Photo: SamuelNelsonGISP · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,478
2025 Census estimate · −2.2% since 2020
Typical home
$122K
−2% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
51.0
years
Jobs based here
326
A commuter town
Is Tarkio a good place to live?
The best of Tarkio’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life and an A− for history; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 22 of Missouri’s 419 towns score higher on cost of living. Tarkio is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns. Among 248 Missouri towns, just 2 have a lower January low than Tarkio. Only 3 of Missouri’s 390 towns score higher on civic life. Tarkio has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Tarkio stand out
Where Tarkio beats most towns.
Typical home value
Tarkio$122K
Missouri$265K
Cost of livingA+
2.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Tarkio12.9
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MO town3.8
Civic lifeA+
3.4 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Missouri town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Walnut InnHistoryA−
Settled in 1880
3 places on the National Register
A history going back 146 years.
Small town
1,478 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Tarkio grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Tarkio is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthCommunity Hospital Association 8.8 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 6.3% of households have no car; 4.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History3 places on the National Register; 5 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life12.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 87° summer afternoons, 30″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Tarkio: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tarkio, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAtchison County Pwsd 1No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Tarkio’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAtchisonAtchison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6449164491 100%Census 2020
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 Tarkio.
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical Tarkio home is worth about $122K
The typical Tarkio home is worth about $122,000, down 2% in a year, 54% below the Missouri typical home. At $660 a month, Tarkio’s median rent is below both the Missouri town median ($971 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$122KZillow home value
| Tarkio | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $660 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Tarkio$122K
Missouri$265K
−2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB
Public schools in Tarkio beat 62% of Missouri districts
Its public schools are run by the Tarkio R-I school district. Its two schools are below.
62%of MO districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarkio ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 142 | C+ |
| Tarkio JH and High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 176 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Tarkio is less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns
Tarkio beats the Missouri average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 43% of adults have high blood pressure in Tarkio, above both Missouri’s towns (37%) and U.S. towns (35%). 34% of Tarkio adults get no exercise outside work.
15%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Tarkio | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 30% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Tarkio | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 77.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 6.8% |
Community Hospital Association
8.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Tarkio’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Tarkio for work: only 17% work in town. Since 2013, Tarkio has lost 112 jobs, to 326 in 2023. Tarkio’s median household income is $57,000.
17%work in town
| Tarkio | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Tarkio17%
Rock Port9%
Maryville6%
Kansas City4%
Fairfax4%
22 mi
median commute distance
326
jobs based in Tarkio
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Tarkio, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Tarkio.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
15
paid flood claims since 1982
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Tarkio, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Tarkio has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. Among 248 Missouri towns, just 7 have a lower July high than Tarkio.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–38°
Spring41–64°
Summer64–85°
Fall42–65°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
In Tarkio, the median age runs higher than in the typical Missouri or U.S. town
The median age in Tarkio is 51 years. Tarkio has lost 2.2% of its people since 2020, down to 1,478 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 25% of residents are 65 or older in Tarkio.
51median age · MO 39
| Tarkio | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 18% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 22% | 29% |
TarkioMissouriUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school44%
Some college20%
Associate’s3%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.1 points. Across Missouri, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Tarkio | MO | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.8% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.7% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.1% | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.8% | 30.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.9% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.1% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.5% | 12.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tarkio
18pages on Tarkio
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Tarkio; the nearest are
Peru State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Peru, NE18.5 mi$8,640 in-state tuitionHighland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Highland, KS40.7 mi$4,080 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Tarkio residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
83% of working residents leave Tarkio for work
Where Tarkio’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
326jobs based in Tarkio
17%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
3 places in Tarkio on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Tarkio
5 notable people were born in Tarkio.
About Tarkio
City in Atchison County, Missouri, United States
Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,506 at the 2020 census. It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is derived from the Meskwaki language meaning "place where walnuts grow".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 928 ft
- ZIP code
- 64491
- Area code
- 660
Questions about Tarkio
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tarkio, MO expensive?
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+.
What is Tarkio, MO known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Sam Graves and Walter Greene.